Southwest Division Roundup: Lebron Not My MVP

SOUTHWEST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	STRK	L10
San Antonio	41	12	.774	-	22-2	19-10	11-2	22-8	104.3	95.8	+8.5	Won 2	9-1
Memphis	33	18	.647	7	21-8	12-10	4-5	19-13	93.7	90.2	+3.5	Won 3	6-4
Houston	29	25	.537	12 ½	18-8	11-17	4-7	12-19	106.3	103.2	+3.1	Won 1	7-3
Dallas	22	29	.431	18	14-10	8-19	3-5	13-19	100.9	102.8	-1.9	Lost 1	5-5
New Orleans	18	34	.346	22 ½	8-15	10-19	4-7	9-23	94.0	97.7	-3.7	Won 1	4-6

Well it's been quite awhile since I wrote an ole fashioned roundup, but I figured heading into the All-Star break is as good a time as any.  This division has been broken wide open by the NBA best Spurs, but both the Grizzlies and Rockets remain dangerous playoff teams.  We've seen a veteran club in Dallas try to climb it's way out of the lottery and into the playoffs and we've seen the lowly Hornets show flashes of what could be a bright future.  Let's take a look around this division and zero in on a top candidate for league MVP.

MVP?

San Antonio:
Winners of a whopping 14 of their last 16, the seemingly perpetually red-hot Spurs have now widened their division lead to 7 games and their conference lead to 1.5.  This team just has a calm about them; they never rush plays and always seem to make the appropriate extra pass.  Every player has a defined role, leaving nothing to question.  While Tim Duncan was playing as well as pretty much any power forward before his recent injury (which is minor) and the supporting cast has been operating at a high level, the real super star on this team is Tony Parker.  Parker has continued to elevate his game, averaging nearly 21 points and 8 assists on the season, however in the 4 games in February since his fellow franchise stars (Duncan and Gino) went down with injuries, he has bumped those averages to 28 and 10 on 56% shooting.  I think he has to be looked at as true MVP candidate.  While Lebron has been doing amazing things and Durant continues to shine, Parker is having the best year of any guard all while leading his team to the NBA's best record.  Right now, I would choose him over Lebron. While I'll discuss in later pieces and in the Three Man Weave podcast, I think the bias major news networks show, such as ESPN, make it difficult for the casual fan to see past anyone but Lebron since he takes up nearly 1/3 of sportscenter. 

and yes, I'd vote for Tony despite this unfortunate rap video: 

BTW, San Antonio beat Chicago Monday by 14 points without Duncan (Knee), Ginobli (Hammy) or Tony Parker (also Knee).  While Chitown was short handed as well, the reserves on this team are very solid. Danny Green is a terrific young shooter and defender.

Memphis:
The Grizzlies are the type of team you want to root for.  They are gritty offensively, clawing inside for much of their scoring and they are as aggressive and physical as anyone on the defensive end.  Their leader is not their best player as Tony Allen is their defensive captain and energy guy.  They play hard and fight till the end.  The problem with Memphis is that while they are scrappy and can score in the interior, they struggle to shoot the ball with any consistency.They are 25th in the league in three point shooting percentage according to hoopdata at a lowly 34.3%.  This team desperately needs to add a perimeter shooter to balance out it's interior presence.  They also have need at the backup center position.  All in all, while I like this team, I don't see them making much noise in the postseason.  I think it would be a good time for them to try and see what they can acquire for Zach Randolph or at the very least either Arthur or the newly acquired Davis so that they can add the necessary pieces around the starting unit to give them a chance in the postseason.

Houston:
Houston now has two nice wins against Golden State after beating them again last night, showing that this team can not only outscore teams in a shootout but can get some stops when they need to as well.  James Harden has skyrocketed to super-stardom this season as we all know, but the young role players on this team have played quite well.  Chandler Parsons does a little of everything and has been the second best offensive player for them this year, Omer Asik cleans up the glass and clogs the middle defensively, while the power forward rotation of Patterson and Morris can stretch the floor and get out on the fast break.  The big question for me is whether Lin can find consistency before the playoffs.  If he plays well, this team is dangerous, if he doesn't I don't see them even challenging a team in the first round. Regardless of where they end this season, the future remains bright in Houston and they are one of the most entertaining teams to watch.

Dallas:
After a tough start to the year without Dirk, they have not been able to climb out of the lottery now that he is healthy.  While I understand Cuban wants to go out and get a star like Brandon Jennings, I think any move needs to look past this season.  They are currently 5.5 games out of the 8th seed with some hungry teams in front of them.  Even if they were to sneak in they just don't have the athletes to match up with the elite of the West.  I think Vince Carter has a solid season on a cheap contract, while Brand and Marion have also played reasonably well.  Obviously OJ Mayo has given the team hope for the future, but they definitely need another piece for the future.  While I'd love to see Big D go get Jennings and make a nice run, I think this season is all but over for them.  I hope I'm wrong.

"Don't break us up, pretty please don't. If you do, I won't even show for the other team" -Me as Marion

New Orleans:
Well the rebuilding Hornets, err. Pelicans are doing just that.  Anthony Davis has disappointed me, looking not quite as ready as I thought he would be.  Still, he has shown flashes of what I still believe is a franchise player.  His averages of a little over 12 points and 7 boards does not scream franchise player, but when you watch him play you see the skill set.  He needs to be much more assertive offensively and command the ball on the post.  They have some other nice pieces in Ryan Anderson, Aminu, Lopez, Vasquez, but they need to figure out what to do with Eric Gordon.  He and Austin Rivers are way too similar in playing style (although Gordon is much better at this point) as isolation perimeter guys.  I think adding a quality point guard or elite athlete on the wing would be huge for them in this draft. Cough Michael Carter Williams or Ben McLemore Cough.

Well that is all, as always sound off in the comments.  Who is your MVP?

Southwest Division: Spurs are Dominant, Rudy Gay is all but gone from Memphis

I'll be bringing my talents to...

While the Division looks to be back to just a one team race for the top spot (was it ever in question the Spurs would win this division?), it doesn't mean there aren't story lines galore in the Southwest.  Where will Rudy Gay land? Will the Rockets use their young assets to bring another star around Harden before the deadline? Can the Mavericks continue to recover from a poor start? And the "Pelicans" hang tough with just about every team...Greivis Vasquez for Most Improved anyone? Let's tackle these questions in the our most recent roundup.

SOUTHWEST	W	L	PCT	GB	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	DIFF	STRK	L10
San Antonio	36	11	.766	-	20-2	16-9	11-2	21-8	104.4	96.3	+8.1	Won 8	9-1
Memphis	29	15	.659	5 ½	17-7	12-8	4-5	16-11	93.4	89.5	+3.9	Won 1	5-5
Houston	25	22	.532	11	15-8	10-14	4-7	9-17	104.9	102.4	+2.5	Won 3	4-6
Dallas	19	26	.422	16	12-9	7-17	3-5	10-17	100.6	103.0	-2.4	Lost 1	6-4
New Orleans	15	30	.333	20	7-15	8-15	4-7	8-20	93.5	97.3	-3.8	Lost 1	5-5

We don't need to say much about San Antonio this week as they have continued their dominance winning 8 straight games to stretch their lead to 5.5 games.  They also have dominated divisional opponents winning 11 of 13 contests so far.  The scariest news for other teams in the division? The Spurs are likely to win their next 4 games, against NBA bottom feeders Charlotte, Washington, Minnesota, and Detroit.  The only possible tests I see in there is Detroit potentially or Washington if Martel Webster or Bradley Beal catches fire from downtown.  So it looks like they will be winners of 12 straight soon...time for Pop to start coming up with a rest schedule for his stars.  This team does everything well except maybe rebound, but they aren't too shabby at that either (-.7 differential is minimal).  I honestly think this is the best team in the NBA and I can't wait for the Feb 21st game against the Clippers of Lob City and the March 11th game against OKC.  Those will be the real measuring sticks we need to evaluate the championships hopes of each team I believe (sure it's just one game, but those are the BIGGEST regular season games left in the Western Conference). Well, just to understand the Spurs magic, here is Tim Duncan doing the un-amazing amazingly:

Okay so now onto the real gritty stuff in this division.  First off, I believe Rudy Gay is all but gone from the Grizz.  His contract is such a huge cap hit next year, that a small market team like Memphis just can't take on the risk of having to pay out the final 37 million on his contract.  While reports from reliable sources like WoJo say that the Raptors and Grizz have all but completed a trade, needing only a third team to take on Jose Calderon's $10.5 million contract, I think that is just one instance where Gay could land outside Memphis.  The Celtics with Paul Pierce's contract that could be bought out (only 4 million guaranteed next season) are another option, although as a C's fan, I don't think the blowup strategy would really work with our roster (a topic for another post). Anyway, the biggest hurdle is finding that third team.  Could the aforementioned Celtics, a team in need of PG help following the season ending ACL injury to star Rajon Rondo, be a taker? The Mavericks who have a lot of veterans on short contracts including Chris Kaman's expiring 8 million could be a landing spot for Calderon to help facilitate this deal.  All in all, where there is smoke, there is likely fire, so Rudy Gay you better get a travel bag ready.  While often a poor shooter, his talents/potential are in line with stardom:

Oh yeah, so the Grizzlies are pretty good right now too, winning 3 of 4. Marc Gasol is a monster and they have the best defensive backcourt (Tony Allen & Mike Conley) in basketball. Too bad they just can't generate the revenue to support the team they could have.

The Rockets are yet another interesting team in this Southwest.  The team is not poised to truly compete this season, although they are extremely fun to watch and can actually be good on both ends of the floor. What this team really needs is another star to compliment James "the beard" Harden.  Could they make a run at Kevin Garnett or Pau Gasol, even Zach Randolph? They certainly have the young talent to entice a team in transition mode in need of youth, but are those the players they want to add.  With Harden and Asik as really the only untouchables, (Parsons, Morris, Paterson are all valuable pieces, but not untouchable) putting a star with them makes this team one of the most dangerous in the league.  I want to know what Rocket fans think...Do you try and improve now for a two year window and then find another player to team with Harden, or do you steadily wait and hope you have a long window that starts as early as next year, but most likely 2014? I'm thinking championships here, not just a playoff team.  The Rockets have won 4 of 5, so maybe they just stay the course this season and reevaluate where they are after. It'll be tough to compete with Spurs, Clippers and Thunder over the next couple years anyways. Just keep in mind that if they want to be aggressive, they have the young talent to go get someone.

The Mavs are a team that I think will be Buyers, but really should be sellers come the deadline in two weeks.  They have almost no shot at competing for a title this season, and unless they can bring in some more talent to surround Dirk, Mayo, and Collison with for next season they will find themselves in the NBA hell-fire of a late lottery team.  They suffered a heartbreaking, soul crushing loss last night to Portland, who stormed back after being down 21 points.  Portland was down 3 with about 5 second left and managed 5 points in that time frame, thanks to a 50/50 charging foul called on Mayo and a heroic effort by LeMarcus Aldridge (game tying 3 with 5 second left, buzzer beater after the charge to win). I just don't think this team has what it takes and should sell off Kaman, Brand, and Carter.  The one big question in Big D is whether or not the team has a chance at Dwight in the offseason? If they do, they only want back expiring contracts or inexpensive talent, but if they feel he is out of their reach they need to acquire some long term talent to pair with Dirk in his
twilight.

And finally, the NO Pelicans..err Hornets always seem to have a sting in them, but just not enough to get over the hump. Greivis Vasquez and Omer Asik are my two picks for a toss up in the Most Improved Player award,  While Vasquez is still less than stellar at shooting, his determination and grit is admirable.  He gets into the lane nicely and he continues to find his teammates at a staggering pace.  Vasquez went from 5.4 assists per game last season to 9.3 so far this season in 9 more minutes   That's incredible improvement.  I'm just waiting for Anthony Davis to figure the NBA game out.  He doesn't always get rebounds and he sits on the baseline offensively way too often.  Once his activity level boosts, he will be a star.  I look for a monster second half from the big fella.

That all for today's roundup folks.  Remember to follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/theNBAninja and stay tuned as the PickandPopDiaries enters 21 days of trade rumors heading up to the deadline.