2012 Southwest Division Preview

We don't really have any "storied" franchises in this division. The Rockets are the oldest, having been founded in 1968. Then the Spurs (an ABA team, so you could say either 1968 or 1977), followed by the Mavericks (1981), Hornets (1989), and Grizzlies (1996). So, realistically, I'm expecting maybe two teams, tops, to make the playoffs out of the Southwest. (And I've definitely got the two in mind already.)



Dallas Mavericks
PG - (1990) Derek Harper - 34.3 ($7.224)
SG - (1984) Mark Aguirre - 68.2 ($7.228)
SF - (2000) Michael Finley - 54.9 ($7.792)
PF - (2006) Dirk Nowitzki - 435.8 ($8.935)
C - (1987) James Donaldson - 29.2 ($7.542)


Bench:
(1984) Rolando Blackman - 93.6 ($7.228)
(2007) Jason Terry - 46.1 ($6.446)
(1989) Sam Perkins - 22.0 ($6.349)
(2008) Josh Howard - 35.3 ($6.326)
(2011) Tyson Chandler - 18.2 ($5.565)
(1984) Brad Davis - 26.6 ($5.023)
(2007) Erick Dampier - 19.8 ($4.189)


Disqualified Players:
(1996) Jason Kidd - 48.9 ($6.815) higher score with Nets
(2002) Steve Nash - 57.1 ($6.324) higher score with Suns


I wish I had something more positive to say about the Mavs, seeing as how they're the reigning champs and all. But outside of Dirk, there's really not a whole lot to get excited about here... This would be a fantastic regular season roster, but in terms of this "Ultimate Season," I just can't see this squad getting it done.


Houston Rockets
PG - (1976) Calvin Murphy - 65.8 ($6.517)
SG - (2003) Steve Francis - 56.4 ($8.066)
SF - (1974) Rudy Tomjanovich - 97.7 ($8.427)
PF - (1993) Hakeem Olajuwon - 502.9 ($10.353)
C - (1979) Moses Malone - 205.4 ($10.593)


Bench:
(1985) Ralph Sampson - 61.9 ($7.502)
(1992) Otis Thorpe - 55.7 ($7.390)
(2009) Yao Ming - 125.8 ($7.093)
(1981) Robert Reid - 29.0 ($6.454)
(1991) Kenny Smith - 34.2 ($5.884)
(1996) Robert Horry - 34.3 ($5.750)
(1997) Mario Elie - 24.9 ($5.599)


Disqualified Players:
(1971) Elvin Hayes - 60.8 ($9.481) higher score with Wizards
(2005) Tracy McGrady - 61.6 ($8.258) higher score with Magic
(1998) Clyde Drexler - 53.2 ($5.692) higher score with Trail Blazers


This team is one of my co-favorites for this division. Any team that has four great centers in their primes has to be considered pretty dangerous. (And Ralph Sampson was great in his prime, even though he didn't have a great career, ditto to a lesser extent for Yao.) They don't have a lot of great players at the smaller positions - as evidenced by Steve Francis starting, and I'll go to my grave saying Calvin Murphy is extremely overrated. (Unless you're judging based on fathering illegitimate children. Then he's easily a Hall of Famer.) But there's a lot of decent role players for those spots, which I think will help the big men just enough to win quite a few games.


Memphis Grizzlies
PG - (2001) Mike Bibby - 6.2 ($6.594)
SG - (2008) Rudy Gay - 10.4 ($7.086)
SF - (2006) Shane Battier - 17.5 ($6.497)
PF - (2000) Shareef Abdur-Rahim - 15.9 ($8.051)
C - (2010) Zach Randolph - 18.9 ($7.664)


Bench:
(2007) Mike Miller - 15.0 ($5.974)
(2010) Marc Gasol - 11.4 ($5.940)
(2011) Mike Conley - 8.1 ($5.914)
(1997) Bryant Reeves - 6.5 ($5.608)
(2005) Lorenzen Wright - 8.0 ($4.658)
(2007) Hakim Warrick - 6.2 ($4.541)
(2002) Stromile Swift - 9.3 ($3.977)


Disqualified Players:
(2006) Pau Gasol - 39.2 ($8.554) higher score with Lakers
(2003) Jason Williams - 7.7 ($4.655) higher score with Heat


You know what? I'm gonna go ahead and make my bold prediction for this whole thing right here. This Grizzlies team will finish third in this division. Ahead of both the Hornets and Mavericks. I dunno why, but something about them just strikes me as "ultimate sleeper."


New Orleans Hornets
PG - (2009) Chris Paul - 143.1 ($9.220)
SG - (2002) Baron Davis - 32.2 ($7.552)
SF - (1997) Glen Rice - 56.5 ($8.042)
PF - (1993) Larry Johnson - 61.1 ($8.049)
C - (1997) Anthony Mason - 22.2 ($8.393)


Bench:
(2003) Jamal Mashburn - 19.1 ($7.144)
(2008) David West - 42.8 ($7.139)
(1999) David Wesley - 18.7 ($6.557)
(2003) P.J. Brown - 23.0 ($6.333)
(2004) Jamaal Magloire - 18.6 ($6.229)
(1990) Muggsy Bogues - 22.4 ($5.422)
(1996) Dell Curry - 15.5 ($5.137)


Disqualified Players:
(1995) Alonzo Mourning - 25.4 ($8.139) higher score with Heat


This team looks fairly decent. But for some reason, I'm just not buying them as a long term threat. I think it might just be that I see a lot of similar skill sets here being doubled or tripled up, and I don't know how well that will translate.


San Antonio Spurs
PG - (1976) James Silas - 51.9 ($7.155)
SG - (1986) Alvin Robertson - 62.3 ($7.305)
SF - (1980) George Gervin - 278.8 ($7.639)
PF - (2002) Tim Duncan - 678.1 ($10.287)
C - (1994) David Robinson - 445.5 ($10.310)


Bench:
(1969) John Beasley - 28.3 ($7.349)
(1977) Larry Kenon - 36.4 ($7.293)
(1992) Sean Elliott - 65.5 ($6.610)
(2006) Tony Parker - 126.4 ($6.323)
(1996) Avery Johnson - 33.4 ($6.323)
(2008) Manu Ginobili - 182.3 ($6.313)
(2006) Bruce Bowen - 37.5 ($5.490)


Disqualified Players:
(1983) Artis Gilmore - 40.9 ($7.869) higher score with Bulls


My other co-favorites for this division. I really can't wait to see the match-ups of Duncan & Robinson vs. Olajuwon & Moses. Those should be epic. But I'm going to give the slight edge to the Spurs, just because of George Gervin. (I know you're probably asking why Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili isn't starting, but since WIS has Silas and Robertson as having better seasons, and since I'm running all the games through WIS, I figured I'd give every team the best possible chance of winning by starting the players WIS thought were the best.)