Nba, Southwest Division: Doncic overtakes Morant. And all waiting to see Zion

The Dallas-Memphis duel should make the Southwest Division exciting. Young teams, with stars, Doncic and Morant, representing NBA present and future. The Grizzlies won the Division last season, then the Mavericks went further into the playoffs, all the way to the Conference final. Both are outsiders in terms of the title, but must be considered in the race, even if starting from the second row of the contenders for the ring. New Orleans finds Williamson and will be a loose cannon in the playoffs, the Texans, Houston and San Antonio, are not competitive. They rebuild.

THE PAINTING

—

Sparkling divison because with a lot of talent for perspective. Doncic will be a legitimate MVP candidate, Morant and Williamson have signed long-term contract extensions that identify them as the Memphis and New Orleans franchise men. They just have to worry about remaining physically intact, capable of guaranteeing athletic continuity, and especially in the case of Zion it is anything but obvious. As basketball they will continue the path of growth, of maturation, but the potential of both is perennial All Star. Memphis lost Jaren Jackson for the first part of the season: Stress fracture, he broke his foot. He could make the difference in the tug-of-war with the Mavs for the top of the Division. The Pelicans, after the super finale of the 2022 season, must prove that they are more than a fun team: with McCollum, Ingram and Zion have the foundations to become ambitious. Houston cuddles Jabari Smith, third choice of the 2023 Draft, San Antonio tanka like it hasn’t done since 1996 …

WHO HAS STRENGTHENED

—

Dallas failed to replace Brunson, who moved to the New York Knicks, adequately. No Sexton, even no Dragic. But at least he avoided overpaying it, Brunson, and the risk was there, after the mistake he made by not renewing it when he had a Black Friday cost. Hardaway recovers post injury and adds Jaden Hardy to the guards department, second round choice in the 2022 Draft due to the aptitude unknowns, certainly not basketball players. And above all he has arranged the long section with the grafts of Christian Wood, enormous added value compared to the recent past, and JaVale McGee, who still has the reason for him at the iron on both sides of the field. Difficult enough to win the title, but it could be enough to overtake Memphis in the franchise hierarchy, at the level of a regular season record.

WHO IS WEAKENED

—

San Antonio sold its All Star, Dejounte Murray, to Atlanta and lost Lonnie Walker to the Los Angeles Lakers. He will shamelessly tank, aiming at the French Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 Draft. The renewal of Keldon Johnson is the only element of continuity, as an organic, Popovich seems destined to retire in 12 months, in the case of Coach Snyder is the name that circulates as a possible substitute.

RANKING DI DIVISION – 1) Dallas 2) Memphis 3) New Orleans 4) Houston 5) San Antonio.

PERSPECTIVES – The deductible objectives. Dallas: title, Memphis: title, New Orleans: playoffs, Houston: reconstruction, San Antonio: reconstruction.