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bound? Yes. Championship bound? Maybe. The addition of Posey won't show up on the stat sheet, but his presence puts the Hornets closer than they were last season. They will be favored to win the Southwest, but one team may stand in their way.Projected Record: 54-24
Division Standing: Second
Houston Rockets
2007-2008 Record: 55-27
The Rockets made the big move in the division during the offseason by acquiring Ron Artest. Though people may not like him because of his history, Artest is one of the most indispensable players in the league.
On paper, Houston doesn't have many weaknesses and their defense just got better with Artest. And if Luis Scola plays the way he did in Beijing, Houston may have the best offense in the division.
The Rockets are championship bound, but everyone will ask the same question:
CAN HOUSTON STAY HEALTHY?
Tracy McGrady tends to have back problems every season, and Yao Ming always breaks something. Also, Shane Battier, their best defender, just suffered a foot injury that will sideline him at least four weeks.
Like San Antonio, health plays a major part in Houston's success. But things are more concerning for this team considering the history of T-Mac and Yao.
Projected Record: 56-26
Division Standing: First
Dallas Mavericks
2007-08 Record: 51-31
The window of opportunity may have already closed for Dallas. After losing a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals in 2006, Dallas has suffered back-to-back losses in the first round of the playoffs.
On the positive side, Rick Carlisle is the new head coach, and they will have Jason Kidd for a full season. With Carlisle on board Dallas should play better team defense, but don't count on much. Kidd, on the other hand, is now 38-years old and struggles to defend quicker point guards.
Their role players—Jerry Stackhouse, Eddie Jones, and Erick Dampier—are aging as well. Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, and Josh Howard may be the only bright spots for this team, and Howard tends to disappear come playoff time.
Projected Record: 50-32
Division Standing: Fourth
Memphis Grizzlies
2007-08 Record: 22-60
The Grizzlies were one of the worst teams in the Western Conference last season. It didn't help that they gave away their best player, Pau Gasol, too. But Marc Gasol, Pau's brother, will join the team this year. Marc looked pretty solid in the Olympics, but he's no Pau.
While there is good upside to this team, they won’t return to the playoffs this season. Memphis lost one of their key players in Juan Carlos Navarro, who decided to return to Europe to play. Mike Miller was also traded away.
The Grizzlies, however, did get the fifth pick in the draft, and ended up with USC's O.J. Mayo.
They still have Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowry, and Mike Conley Jr; three guys who have tremendous upside. Also, head coach Marc Iavoroni will return in his second year as an NBA head coach.
Memphis will end up dead last in this division once again, but they are a young team on the rise.
Projected Record: 30-52
Division Standing: Fifth
Michael Whittenberg is one of two NBA Community Leaders for bleacherreport.com
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