MVP Texas | Who is on Top of the Southwest Division?

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Who is on Top of the Southwest Division?

Written by Travis Pulver

Monday, 30 January 2012 01:19

It appears to be a good season to be an NBA fan in the state of Texas. For Dallas Mavericks fans it’s a chance to repeat; San Antonio Spurs fans get a shot at redemption; and the Houston Rockets get a chance to prove last season’s late push was not a fluke.

So far it is working out pretty good for everybody.

As of the end of action on Sunday night, the Mavericks were in first in the Southwest division with a record of 13-8 and a half game lead over the Rockets (12-8) followed by the Spurs (12-9; one game behind Dallas).

At first it looked like it was going to be another ho-hum season for Houston. They tried to make a huge, blockbuster trade for Los Angeles Lakers power forward Pau Gasol, but that fell through. Ten games into the abbreviated season they were only 3-7; ten games later they are now 12-8.

The turnaround is due partially to a weak schedule, but the team still had to play well to win. Over the last ten games they have the third best offense in the league (102.2 points/game) and the fourth best point differential (+9.5; opponents have averaged 92.7 points/game).

“These guys can play,” head coach Kevin McHale said. “We got good depth. If we can get stops and get out and run, it puts those guys in position to get out and play.”

Dallas has had a little trouble defending their title so far because they can’t seem to field a healthy line-up. Jason Kidd, the elder statesman on the squad at 38, is expected to miss the next five games at least and has already missed four this season. Vince Carter recently returned from a short five-game break due to a sprained foot. The 2011 Finals MVP, Dirk Nowitzki just finished a team-mandated four game lay-off so that he could get back into shape.

"I'm definitely moving better," he said. "I think when somebody comes off a little break, you look at how he's moving. And definitely that was an improvement. I still got to keep working and should be back to normal soon."

With a win over the San Antonio Spurs Sunday, the Mavericks broke a short lived three way tie for first in the division between the three Texas teams. Should the playoffs start tomorrow Dallas would have the No 4 seed, Houston the No 6, and San Antonio would lose the tie breaker to the Los Angeles Lakers and miss out on the No 8 seed.

There is still plenty of basketball left to be played. After another 40+ games, the scene in the Southwest division and in the Western Conference playoffs bracket can look different.

All three of Texas’s NBA teams can be playoff bound.

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