NBA: 2 sentence summaries for each West team’s season thus far

Southwest Division

Dallas Mavericks (24-21, 5th in West)

Dallas has rounded out a bit around star Luka Dončić, but most of their recent winning has come as a result of otherworldly performances by the 23-year-old, as he continues to put the team on his back. It remains to be seen how much this limited roster can win when the stakes are highest, but as long as they have Luka, they will strike fear into anyone they match up against.

Houston Rockets (10-34, 15th in West)

Houston did not expect to win many games, and they haven’t, but there are concerning signs with the team beyond that. The team still seems to have no leadership or accountability, and as 2nd and 3rd-year players continue to exhibit rookie behavior, coach Stephen Silas and the front office should be worried about the future of the team they are building.

Memphis Grizzlies (30-13, 2nd in West)

Memphis and Denver continue to both win, and neither wants to let the other team get a lead at pole position in the Western Conference, as Memphis’ young core continues to thrive in the regular season. Memphis may look to make changes at the deadline, although they make stick with their previous philosophy of developing young players, which has led them to one of the best situations for the present and future in the NBA.

New Orleans Pelicans (26-18, 3rd in West)

New Orleans has been without at least one of its stars Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson for virtually the entire season, but they have still found ways to win enough games to hold the third spot in the Western Conference. This speaks to their fantastic roster construction and depth, and it seems unlikely they will tinker too much at the trade deadline, and instead will let good health boost their team as they look to make a splash in the first playoff run for this core.

San Antonio Spurs (13-31, 14th in West)

The Spurs are another team that is heavily tanking for Victor Wembanyama and the other top prospects of the upcoming draft, but they have also found ways to develop their young players that they see as part of their future.

Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell have shown great progress and figure to be a big part of San Antonio’s future, along with whoever they get at the top of the 2023 draft.