The Southwest Division is a cauldron of NBA talent, but can it again produce five playoff teams as it did a year ago?
The Southwest Division has the distinction of being the lone NBA division to produce nothing but playoff teams. It created the conference finalist Houston Rockets, who fell in five games to the Golden State Warriors.
The division seems to have three near locks in Houston, San Antonio and Memphis. The Dallas Mavericks could sustain their run and the New Orleans Pelicans were a surprise playoff team a year ago, taking in the vacuum left by the battered Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Grizzlies showed with a nearly-dead Mike Conley the “Grit ‘N’ Grind” will continue to be there. Memphis has the style of ball to thrive in the playoffs, and the team has a tough defensive mindset that seemingly has no choice but to produce success.
The Southwest is a tough division and even if the Rockets are the toast of it from a year ago, the Rockets by no means has a stronghold on winning this division this year.
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