A Division in Review

Sure, the Spurs hold a one game lead in the Southwest division, but that doesn’t mean they are necessarily the best team in the division. Well, maybe they are, but, that doesn’t mean the other teams aren’t worth noting. In fact, as far as I’m concerned, it’s the best division in the association.

Hornets

I’ve noted, several times in this very blog, my true affinity (some might call it a love affair) with Chris Paul. He’s the team’s best playmaker, best passer, best on-ball defender. He’s their everything. Here’s a crazy stat, in the last 9 games, dude has 111 assists, and just 13 TOs. Almost 10:1 assist to turnover. But, that’s not it for this team. David West is a ballplayer. He’s not elite, but he’s a forward that can shoot from 15 to 20 feet. He won’t take Duncan down low, but waiting for him will be a guy named Tyson, and he’s no chicken. Sorry for the awful pun, but Chandler’s really developed into a nice player. Never will he be the 2nd overall talent he was expected to be when the LA Clippers took him there in 2001. Still, he’s turned into exactly what the Bulls were looking for when they acquired the aging Ben Wallace, the kind of player that rebounds and blocks shots like a fiend, and gives back-to-the-basket big men like Tim Duncan a hard time.

Mavericks

Here’s the bottom line: This team is way, way better than they’re playing. Already this season they’ve lost to Atlanta, Indiana, Milwauke, Washington, and Portland. They’ve got a new starting lineup from last year. Jason Terry is out of the starting lineup in favor of the near ancient Eddie Jones, who does near nothing statistically or realisitically. That being said, they’ve played lethargically and recently, they’ve won 4 in a row, largely due to the improved play of Dirk Nowitzki (over 27 points per in the last 3).

Rockets

They’re never healthy, plain and simple. Tracy McGrady forever will have knee problems, and Yao hasn’t played nearly a full season in 3 years. Even when Yao does play, he won’t develop as they envisioned he would, simply because he has to try to win alongside Bonzi Wells and Rafer Alston. Not bad players, but not good enough. They’ll always play good defense, if only because of Yao and Shane Battier, despite Rick Adelman’s best efforts.

Grizzlies

Marc Iavaroni’s Phoenix-east-style offense just isn’t going to work. Sorry, but it’s true. This team only has 10 wins, granted, but they are a far better team. They’re within 2 wins of the following teams: Knicks, Bucks, Bobcats, Heat, Kings, Clippers, Sonics. My word says, they’re better than all of them, and have no reason to blow things up. Gasol’s been an all-star, Gay is a budding all-star, and Mike Miller is the most impressive of the whole bunch. The reason being, simply, Miller was only a jump shooter coming uot of Florida, and now he has changed his game, for the better. He does a little bit of everything, and can create his shot, if only a bit more than before. With Mike Conley a few games back from injury, they should be better in the second half of the season.