Friday 18 October 2019 09:28, UK
Sky Sports NBA analyst Mike Tuck previews the Southwest Division, offers his prediction for division winners and invites you to have your say in our poll.
Tuck's take
There's one glaring question we all want to see answered in the Southwest. Can Russell Westbrook and James Harden co-exist in Houston? They know how to play with each other from their days together in Oklahoma City, even if it has been a while since they played together.
Someone is going to have to make a sacrifice. Are either of them at a stage in their careers where mentally they can take that step back and have the maturity to sacrifice individual goals in order to win a championship.
Can Westbrook become a better off-ball offensive player? Can he be patient enough to wait in the corner while Harden probes away before hitting him with a pass? We haven't seen him do that before.
For championship teams, superstars figure out the ability to sacrifice and put their egos in their back-pockets as well as the situations where they have to step up. That's the biggest thing for the Harden and Westbrook - who is going to make the sacrifice?
It's an exciting time for the Dallas Mavericks. Porzingis is finally set to play and he looks good. He looks like Ivan Drago from Rocky IV!
Doncic and Porzingis on the same team is super-exciting. They are two of the most exciting young players in the league. Luka is coming off one of the best rookie seasons in NBA history, he is already cementing himself as a great player in the league after just one year. The pick-and-roll, pick-and-pop game with Doncic and Porzingis will be exciting to watch.
Are they going to be a playoff team? I think earning that eighth seed represents a successful season and is a big step in the right direction. But the Western Conference is so competitive.
The New Orleans Pelicans will be a fun team to watch with a good mix of guys. Young guys like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson with experienced players like Jrue Holiday, JJ Redick and Derrick Favors. They are going to be fun to watch but they don't have much experience.
Zion is definitely a rookie of the year candidate but he has a lot of pressure on his shoulders and how he handles that will dictate his season.
David Griffin has done an amazing job overhauling the roster so quickly after trading Anthony Davis but I think they are two seasons away from a time we can start talking about them as a playoff team. Neither Ingram or Zion are known for great outside shooting from outside and they play quite similar styles so how is that going to work?
We'll see how well all their pieces work together - but it is going to be exciting.
I've got the San Antonio Spurs down for 46 wins and making the playoffs. Derrick White will be a key player for them. We know what to expect from most of the Spurs but he was a big surprise for them last season. Dejounte Murray returning from injury will be important too.
Who am I picking to win the Southwest? Houston, for sure.
