As the 2025-26 NBA season quickly approaches, the Sportscasting crew has teamed up to posit one important question for every team this year. Up next is the Southwest Division.
Let’s get to it.
Read our other Division previews: Atlantic / Central / Southeast / Pacific / Northwest
Dallas Mavericks: Can They Build A Competent, Modern Offense?
Even with Kyrie Irving expected to miss all or most of 2025-26, the Dallas Mavericks sport a rather deep, talented roster.
They have an All-NBA star in Anthony Davis. With the first overall pick this summer, they selected Cooper Flagg, who projects as a versatile, impactful two-way wing from the outset. Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Dereck Lively II are all useful, starting-caliber players. If he returns to his pre-2024-25 ways, free agent signee D’Angelo Russell isn’t a bad stand-in while Irving recovers, capable of providing scoring and playmaking pop at point guard — despite his glaring limitations. Naji Marshall, Max Christie and Daniel Gafford are valuable depth pieces who help answer questions in different areas.
Yet all that talent does not necessarily make for a logical, cohesive roster, particularly given the concentration of front-court and defensive-minded players. Dallas has the makings of a fearsome defensive unit but as long as Irving is sidelined, is there enough offensive juice to survive? The rotation is severely short on both ball-handling and shooting.
While Russell can be a cog in the machine, entrusting him to pull many ball-handling levers is a dubious proposition for efficient offense. The Mavericks’ current composition may demand that of him, though. And if much of the offense flows through Davis and Flagg — neither of whom should be high-volume outside shooters — what sort of pulse can Dallas establish from deep? Thompson, Russell and Christie alone cannot determine a properly spaced floor. Plenty of lineups will offer spacing quandaries, regardless of how imposing they are defensively.
Perhaps, the front-court quartet of Davis, Flagg, Washington and Lively — who present varying levels of ball skills, finishing and playmaking — can allow the Mavericks to live around the rim and accomplish just enough for serviceable offense. No matter where Dallas levels out offensively, it’ll certainly arrive through atypical means in the modern era. Creativity will be imperative for this group, especially if it aims to complement a stingy, high-level defense with the caliber of offense necessary for a playoff berth. -Jackson Frank
Houston Rockets: Is This The Year Jabari Smith Makes Real Noise?
Jabari Smith has had a solid, if unspectacular, first three seasons in the NBA. The third overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft has averaged 13 points and 7.5 rebounds to this point, offering passable floor-spacing with 34 percent shooting from deep.
The Houston Rockets are laced with big expectations after the acquisition of Kevin Durant. Those expectations took a hit after Fred VanVleet tore the ACL in his left knee and projects to miss the entire season. While all eyes are on Amen Thompson to make a big leap, be sure to at least keep Smith in the rearview.
Smith signed a fully guaranteed five-year, $122 million extension this summer. There were whispers he could be part of a deal for Durant at last year’s trade deadline and he will be trade eligible on Dec. 15. If the Rockets struggle to get adequate playmaking out of Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson, could Smith be the tantalizing young piece who gets dangled for some help at guard?
That’s what at stake for him this season. Defense is his calling card and VanVleet’s absence, coupled with the departure of Dillon Brooks, puts more pressure on the likes of Thompson and Smith as stoppers. As far as his offensive efficiency is concerned, he needs to get that 51 percent effective field goal clip closer to 55 percent this season.
If he can prove a vital front-court cog alongside Durant and Alperen Sengun, it forces Houston’s hand one way. If he doesn’t, the Rockets know they have a capable starter in Dorian Finney-Smith and a huge need somewhere else. -Vivek Jacob
Memphis Grizzlies: Is Ja Morant A True Superstar?
The Memphis Grizzlies, as they are wont to do in the Ja Morant era, had a weird 2024-25 season. Behind a revamped offense, Memphis arrived at the All-Star Break 36-18, tied for the fourth-best record in the league. As the Thinking Basketball YouTube channel covered, the Grizzlies were running fewer pick-and-rolls than any team in the NBA, playing at breakneck speed while using off-ball movement to create advantages:
All was not well in paradise. Memphis went 12-16 after the Break. Before the regular season was even finished but after they had clinched a playoff spot, they ditched head coach Taylor Jenkins. In the aftermath, reporting confirmed what many had suspected all along: Morant was not happy with the offensive changes.
“Morant did not, however, like the new offense,” went one article from The Athletic. “He has played in just 43 games this season, missing this most recent stretch because of a hamstring injury while also dealing with right shoulder soreness. But when he’s been on the court, according to a league source, Morant has complained about the new scheme, which takes the ball out of his hands and removes the screens he likes to use as a ball handler to make plays.”
The Grizzlies enter 2025-26 with plenty of interesting questions on the periphery. How will they replace Desmond Bane’s offensive production? How will their young role players progress, from Zach Edey to Vince Williams Jr. to Santi Aldama? And those are just a few.
But really, Memphis will go as far as Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. will take them. Such is the blessing and the curse of being stars on max contracts; they’ve each had moments of brilliance and moments of regret. The 2025-26 season, though, is Morant’s chance to excel in the spotlight. On some level, if Morant is the superstar Grizzlies fans want him to be, it shouldn’t matter how much pick-and-roll they initiate the offense with or how hard they work to get supporting players involved early in possessions.
Morant should be able to lead them no matter what. -Lucas Kaplan
New Orleans Pelicans: Where Are They Going?
The Zion Williamson era in New Orleans has certainly produced far hollower results than anticipated when it began 6.5 years ago. Thus far, those results feature two playoff appearances, two total playoff wins, a 209-263 regular-season record and a whole lot of frustrating disappointment spliced with the occasional glimpse of hope (remember the first half of 2022-23?).
As he enters the seventh season of this partnership with the Pelicans, much has changed around him and the playoffs are a lofty, likely unreasonable goal. There are plenty of new faces, young and old alike, who will help shape 2025-26 and beyond for New Orleans. Among veterans, Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney now call the Bayou home while a pair of 2025 lottery picks, Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, will make their NBA debuts this season.
Good, skillful wings in 26-year-old Herbert Jones and 25-year-old Trey Murphy III remain, set to enter their primes. Through two seasons, Jordan Hawkins has flashed impressive off-ball scoring traits but must establish consistency and round out his game. Yves Missi is eyeing his second year after a promising, albeit flawed, inaugural campaign. At some point, Dejounte Murray, acquired from the Atlanta Hawks last summer, will return from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
There are undoubtedly intriguing and/or talented players on this roster. But what does it all amount to and where are the Pelicans headed? Wherever they’re headed, is Williamson in the plans? Does he deserve to be? What about the likes of Murray, Poole, Jones and Murphy? Can the young guns deliver and jell to crystallize a prosperous future?
The 2025-26 season will mark the first full year with Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver as lead decision-makers in the front office. Both a vision and who should be prioritized in that vision are of utmost importance. Rather than define the legacy of 2025-26, wins and losses will simply be a conduit through which to clarify those unknowns. -Jackson Frank
San Antonio Spurs: Can The Kids Keep Up With Victor Wembanyama’s Aspirations?
The San Antonio Spurs are entering 2025-26 with hopes of making the playoffs for the first time in the Victor Wembanyama era. The French phenom is über-competitive and wants to play meaningful games in April. The franchise signaled its intentions by acquiring De’Aaron Fox at last year’s trade deadline and boosted those claims with the selection of Dylan Harper second overall in the Draft while nabbing Luke Kornet during free agency.
Among Wembanyama, Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell, there is a lot of talent. Fox has seen the postseason before, as have Kornet, Harrison Barnes and Kelly Olynyk. Is that enough veteran seasoning?
Winning Rookie of the Year is one thing but Castle will have to make a leap to keep up with where Wembanyama and the Spurs want to go this season. Harper won’t have the same margin for error that even Castle had a season ago. Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson and Julian Champagnie face big years in showing they are worthy pieces of the puzzle. If not, rookie Carter Bryant will eagerly anticipate his opportunities.
The answer to this question would look notably different — and likely less pressing — if the Spurs were in the East. Instead, the difficulty of the West may still keep San Antonio’s young squad having to work its way through growing pains. -Vivek Jacob
