The third part of this six-piece series will spotlight the Southwest Division.

- Dallas Mavericks -

The Dallas Mavericks appear to be on a down slope.  Only three years removed from a trip to the NBA Finals and all of a sudden they look like a broken down team teetering on the brink of the Lottery.  However, they still have some of the biggest individual names in the league, which always gives reason for teams around the league to fear them coming to town.

NBA Draft Picks:  Shan Foster (No. 51)

Key Additions: DeSagana Diop (Free Agent ? New Jersey), Gerald Green (FA ? Houston), James Singleton (FA ? L.A. Clippers), Keith McLeod (FA), Cheyne Gadson (FA ? NBDL), JaJuan Smith (FA ? undrafted rookie), Charles Rhodes (FA ? undrafted rookie)

Key Losses: Malik Allen (FA ? Milwaukee), Jamaal Magloire (FA ? Miami), Tyronn Lue (FA ? Milwaukee), Juwan Howard (FA ? unsigned)

The Mavs didn?t really help themselves much this offseason.  They already traded the farm for Jason Kidd at the deadline last year and that turned out to be a disaster.  Now, they will enter the season with new disciplinary coach, Rick Carlisle, as their biggest addition.  They overpaid on bringing DeSagana Diop back to Dallas, and will now be paying the Dampier/Diop center combo $15M this season and disgustingly almost $20M in 2010-11. Throw in the fact that they still owe DJ Mbenga $1.9M this season, and they are dishing out a lot of salary cap for minimal production in the paint.  With no true power forward still, the Mavs decided to bring in a ton of small forward types.  Already saddled with the model American, Josh Howard, Jerry Stackhouse, Eddie Jones, Antoine Wright, and Devean George, they decided it was a good idea to pick up Gerald Green and James Singleton.  Why not!?  But hey, at least Brandon Bass was a bright spot last season.

Burning Questions

- Will the Mavericks finally fall from the playoffs?
- Is Carlisle the right man for the job?
- Will Mark Cuban cry on the court when he realizes his team is no longer elite?
- Is this it for Jason Kidd?  Will he prove he can still ball in a contract year?
- Will Josh Howard stand for the National Anthem in the home opener?

Person on the Hot Seat: Josh Howard

If it wasn?t for Josh Howards summer of idiocy, this would surely belong to J-Kidd.  Kidd is old and Dallas dealt the farm for him, but J-Ho has just been too reckless for him not to have something to prove to the fans in Big D.  Howard already admitted that he smokes the reefer on a regular basis ? shocker, was arrested for racing his car at ludicrous speeds ? no way!?, and was caught on a YouTube clip during a charity flag football game hosted by Allen Iverson claiming that he refused to celebrate the USA National Anthem.

Team Outlook

Dallas made no serious attempt to improve their team, and used their only pick in the Draft to select Shan Foster out of Vanderbilt.  Hopefully Foster isn?t trying to follow in fellow Commodore and SEC Player of the Year Derrick Byars' footsteps by contributing absolutely nothing to the NBA in his first year.  The Mavericks will have a tough time in the division that produced four 50-win teams last season, and likely this year they will be the ones joining the Grizzlies on the outside of the 50-win club looking in.

- Houston Rockets -

The Rockets are always everyone?s big sleeper pick to enter the season and contend for the Western crown.  Once again, they are being praised as the eventual champs because they made one incredibly savvy move that proved to the fans, ?Hey ? forget behavioral standards ? we?re going to try to win it all this year, so we don?t have to buy so many boxes of tissues for T-Mac after our inevitable first round series loss.?  

NBA Draft Picks: Joey Dorsey (No. 33, traded from Portland), Maarty Leunen (No. 54)

Key Additions: Ron Artest (trade ? Sacramento), Brent Barry (FA ? San Antonio), D.J. Strawberry (trade ? Phoenix), Von Wafer (FA ? Portland), Marcus Campbell (FA ? NBDL), Frederic Weis (trade ? New York)

Key Losses: Bobby Jackson (trade ? Sacramento), Donte Greene (trade ? Sacramento), Steve Novak (trade ? L.A. Clippers), Patrick Ewing Jr. (trade ? New York), Sean Singletary (trade ? Phoenix), Dikembe Mutombo (FA ? unsigned)

After toying with the emotions of the fans all season, the Rockets ended up falling just short again in the first round.  This year, they are coming back fully stocked and ready to rumble.  With a healthy Yao and McGrady, the always steady Shane Battier, and a maturing Rafer Alston, the Rockets may have added the final pieces to get them into the West Semis ? lunatic and defensive nuisance, Ron Artest.  That is one of the strongest starting fives in the league and in recent league memory ? and we haven?t even mentioned Luis Scola or Carl Landry!  Artest gives a team full of ?nice guys? a person who will hip check Kobe to the ground.  He gives them an intimidating presence that Dikembe Mutombo was about 47 years ago.  He gives them a helping of anger and hostility that Battier?s history professors censored while he studied at Duke.  Artest gives them a chance to succeed.  Throw in some bulls-eye shooting from Brent ?Everlasting? Barry, and maybe some defensive stopper minutes off the bench for D.J. Strawberry, and Houston had themselves yet another impressive offseason.

Burning Questions

- Will Artest behave?
- Is Mutombo still alive?
- Who will be the odd man out of the starting five?
- Is Brent Barry going to get enough minutes to contribute?
- Will Carl Landry improve?
- Is this the year Yao remains healthy all season?
- Will they get to the second round?

Person on the Hot Seat: Tracy McGrady

It?s always him, but that?s because he is the superstar on the team ? and now he no longer has any excuse because the team surrounding him is just sick.  There is talent and depth at every position and McGrady must be the leader that he has shown in spurts to get this team deep into the playoffs.  Anything less than the second round would be consider a major failure this year.  He is running out of chances, so he must deliver now.  

Team Outlook

They have a plethora of talent across the board.  The are basically the Anti-2007-08 Heat.  They can beat you inside, outside, on the wing, in the paint, on the baseline, on the bench, and in the stands.  They have role players, defensive stars, playmakers, shooters, and scorers.  This team has no reason to expect failure.  But I just can?t buy into a team being led by T-Mac and Yao.  I predict that they, at best, get to the West Semis?at best.

- Memphis Grizzlies -

The rebuilding Grizzlies made a couple of big moves at the Draft that appeared rather questionable at the time, but support their plan to acquire as much top flight talent as they can and add necessary veteran pieces later.  They then later almost made a deal with the Knicks for veteran power forward Zach Randolph, until they realized that that would have completely turned around their current model of adding cheap talent and shedding unwanted salary.  

NBA Draft Picks: O.J. Mayo (No. 3 ? traded from Minnesota), Darrell Arthur (No. 27 ? traded from New Orleans), Marc Gasol (from 2007 NBA Draft)

Key Additions: Antoine Walker (trade ? Minnesota), Marko Jaric (trade ? Minnesota), Quinton Ross (FA ? L.A. Clippers), Brent Petway (FA ? NBDL), Greg Buckner (trade ? Minnesota), Hamed Haddadi (FA ? Iran)

Key Losses: Mike Miller (trade ? Minnesota), Kevin Love (trade ? Minnesota), Juan Carlos Navarro (FA ? Spain), Jason Collins (trade ? Minnesota), Brian Cardinal (trade ? Minnesota), Kwame Brown (FA ? Detroit), Andre Brown (FA ? unsigned), Casey Jacobsen (FA ? unsigned)

The Grizz packaged Mike Miller with the fifth pick overall, Kevin Love, and sent them to Minnesota in a high-risk, high-reward deal that could have eventually landed them the most talented player in the Draft.  O.J. Mayo grew up in the limelight and will immediately provide the city of Memphis with a superstar talent that is worth going to see in the arena.  Do you think that Kevin Love would have sold as many tickets as the enigmatic Mayo?  No.  This deal had to be made, and Mayo will team with Mike Conley, Javaris Crittenton, and Rudy Gay to form one of the most dynamic and potent outside presences in the league ? and all of them still have to ask Gay to buy them alcohol.   Also coming over from Spain is Marc Gasol, who appeared to be much improved during this Summer Olympics.  He could team with Darko Milicic to form the all-Euro frontcourt of the future.

Burning Questions

- Why do they still have Conley, Crittenton, and Kyle Lowry?  Will they trade one for a big man?
- Will Rudy Gay continue to ascend toward All Star status?
- Is O.J. Mayo the next big star?
- Will Marc Gasol be anything like his big brother?
- Will dunk machine Brent Petway get a chance to play in Memphis?
- Is Hamed Haddadi going to do a thing for the Grizzlies ever?
- Will Antoine Walker win Comeback Player of the Year?
- Are fans sad that Kevin Love didn?t stick around for the exciting inside-outside Gay-Love combo?

Person on the Hot Seat: Kyle Lowry

There really is no hot seat in Memphis, so to speak, but Lowry must feel like the odd man out after the Pau Gasol trade.  With two ultra-talented points, and now Mayo and Jaric in the mix, where does that leave time for Lowry to run the show?  Lowry could be dealt as soon as a suitable big man from anywhere but New York becomes available.

Team Outlook

There is definitely hope on the horizon.  The Grizzlies are comprised of extremely talented and athletic players that in the right system could succeed.  While their big man situation is not ideal, they have some young guys who can step in and make an impact this season.  I expect the Grizzlies to trend up, and provide some of the most entertaining high-flying basketball of the year.

- New Orleans Hornets -

These guys are good ? real good.  Chris Paul will be coming back more charged up than ever, and this team feels like it blew a chance to match up with the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.  Had they gotten that far,  the speedy Hornets might have been too much for the Lake Show.

NBA Draft Picks: none

Key Additions: James Posey (FA ? Boston), Devin Brown (FA ? Cleveland), Sean Marks (FA ? Phoenix), Courtney Sims (FA ? Indiana), Jared Jordan (FA)

Key Losses: Chris Anderson (FA ? Denver), Jannero Pargo (FA ? Russia), Bonzi Wells (FA ? unsigned)

The addition of James Posey gives them a ruthless and nasty player on the wing who plays solid defense, hits clutch shots, and can stroke the three-ball.  He provides them with another player who knows how to win, how to play the game, and will help with the development of Julian Wright.  The only problem is that the Hornets were unable to add some depth up front, where they will be in serious trouble if an injury hits David West or Tyson Chandler.  Sean Marks and Courtney Sims are laughable pickups in the paint, but Devin Brown will prove to be an underrated replacement alongside Mike James in the minutes taken for the since departed Jannero Pargo.

Burning Questions

- Will Chris Paul elevate his game even more?  Is that possible?
- Will David West continue to improve?  
- Have we seen the best from Tyson Chandler yet?
- Will Courtney Sims ever dress?
- Is Mike James enough to replace Pargo?s production?
- Will Julian Wright bust out this season after missing the national championship last year?

Person on the Hot Seat: Morris Peterson

Peterson was a bright spot for the Hornets last season, but now faces a lot more heat with Posey and Brown added to the roster.  Will they sneak up on Mo Pete and steal some of his playing time?  Peja returned to form last season and proved to be one of the more valuable weapons in CP3?s arsenal ? can Peterson solidify his role as a start on this year?s team?

Team Outlook

When healthy, this Hornets team has no excuse not to challenge the Lakers and Rockets for the West crown.  They have excellent speed, moxie, toughness, and shooting ability all over the floor.  They came together last year as a team and played with more heart than anyone outside of Boston.  Another year older, another year wiser, Chris Paul may be ready to lead them to the title.

- San Antonio Spurs -

The Spurs love odd-numbered years with utmost passion.  They have won the title in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007.  Could they do it again in 2009?  They like to think so, and why not?  They still have Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili.  They still have Coach Pop calling the shots.  But sooner or later, this whole ?Growing Old Together? thing isn?t going to work out so well ? just look at the New York Yankees in 2008.

NBA Draft: George Hill (No. 26), Malik Hairston (No. 48, trade from Phoenix), James Gist (No. 57)

Key Additions: Roger Mason (FA ? Washington), Salim Stoudamire (FA ? Atlanta), Anthony Tolliver (FA), Desmon Farmer (FA)

Key Losses: Brent Barry (FA ? Houston), Robert Horry (retirement), Demarr Johnson (FA ? unsigned), Damon Stoudamire (FA ? unsigned)

The Spurs felt confident that all they really needed to do was re-sign the timeless Mike Finley and Kurt Thomas, while adding Roger Mason and Salim Stoudamire to the outside rotation on the cheap.  Neither guy commands much of a salary, and both guys improve their average age and outside shooting.  However, the loss of Robert Horry and Brent Barry will probably prove to be more costly than many will think.  Horry is Mr. Big Shot and Barry is Mr. No Don?t Sweat It Ref, I Wasn?t Fouled At The Buzzer Versus The Lakers.  Otherwise, we?d be talking about a Spurs/Celtics defensive festival in last year?s Finals.  While I cringe thinking about the Spurs with Finley and Bruce Bowen in the starting five AGAIN, I can?t help but respect what they?ve done over the past decade and assume they will make it deep into the playoffs ? especially since the season ends in an odd numbered year.  

Burning Questions

- Will Tim Duncan fight Lakers draft pick Joe Crawford?
- Will Ginobili?s void early in the season cause the Spurs to fall from the pack in the West?
- Will Finley really start all season?
- Will Bowen?
- Is Roger Mason this year?s savvy underrated Ime Udoka signing?
- Is George Hill going to make an impact?
- Will Fabricio Oberto finally cut his hair?  Please?

Person on the Hot Seat:  Matt Bonner

With Horry and Barry gone, Kurt Thomas getting too old, and Ginobili on the shelf to start the season, it will be vital for everyone?s favorite Florida redhead to get this team on pace for 60 wins.  The Spurs will need Bonner to massacre bodies in the paint and drill the open three-pointer when called upon.  Don?t forget that he hit on 42% of his 243 shots from beyond the arc in his final season in Toronto.  Bonner has the goods to be a real star role player in San Antonio, and they will need his hearty contribution early on to keep pace in the West.  

Team Outlook

They?ve done it over and over.  They are professionals in every sense of the word.  And until you prove to me that the Lakers didn?t get by the Spurs last year because of a bum wheel on Manu and a couple of ridiculous calls that went overlooked, I am going to say that we can easily see the Spurs once again hoisting up the NBA championship trophy this June.

Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments or questions.