{"id":42167,"date":"2021-09-13T15:45:13","date_gmt":"2021-09-13T19:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=42167"},"modified":"2026-04-22T17:13:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T21:13:17","slug":"nba-predictions-win-totals-southwest-division","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2021\/09\/13\/nba-predictions-win-totals-southwest-division\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Predictions: Hypothesizing Win Totals for the Southwest Division"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The NBA Southwest Division is set for another competitive year as the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, and San Antonio Spurs are set to compete for a playoff berth. Bookies have Dallas as the favorite to win the most games in the division closely followed by Memphis.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NBA 2021-22 Win\/Loss Totals (Over\/Under)<\/p>\n<p>SOUTHWEST DIVISION<br \/>Dallas Mavericks 48.5<br \/>Houston Rockets 27.5<br \/>Memphis Grizzlies 41.5<br \/>New Orleans Pelicans 38.5<br \/>San Antonio Spurs 28.5<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The Thunder Roundtable (@NBASkoolOfThort) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBASkoolOfThort\/status\/1430004775651745795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/doncilu01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Luka Doncic<\/strong><\/a> leading the way, the Mavericks are set for a big season however other teams in the division will also be looking to prove themselves. Will Memphis take another leap and prove its appearance in the playoffs is a trend, not a fluke? Will the Pelicans at least make the play-in game? Last Word on Sports attempts to predict each team&#8217;s Over\/Under win totals.<\/p>\n<h2>NBA Predictions: Hypothesizing Win totals for the Southwest Division<\/h2>\n<h3>Luka Doncic in position for MVP Season, Dallas Mavericks set to ascend<\/h3>\n<p>The Dallas Mavericks have one piece of the puzzle nailed down for the foreseeable future after signing Doncic to a five-year, $206-million-dollar extension. The 22-year-old is one of the biggest names in the NBA and will likely become the face of the league once <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jamesle01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LeBron James<\/a><\/strong> retires. However, building a contender around the young star is proving to be a challenge.<\/p>\n<p>Despite entering Free Agency with the third most cap space ($33.5 million), the Mavericks were unable to capture another star. They made a nice accessory move adding<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bullore01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Reggie Bullock<\/a><\/strong> from the New York Knicks, then re-signed guard Doncic and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hardati02.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tim Hardaway Jr<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">DALLAS MAVERICKS OFFSEASON (per RealGM) <\/p>\n<p>ADDED <br \/>Reggie Bullock<br \/>Sterling Brown<br \/>Moses Brown<\/p>\n<p>RE-SIGN <br \/>Luka Doncic<br \/>Tim Hardaway Jr.<br \/>Boban Marjanovic<\/p>\n<p>LOST<br \/>Nico Melli<br \/>J.J. Reddick<br \/>Josh Richardson<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The Thunder Roundtable (@NBASkoolOfThort) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBASkoolOfThort\/status\/1430165140150882311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>These are hardly the blockbusting moves many were expecting. Doncic is a phenomenal player but there is only so much he can do as shown in their first-round playoff exit last season. Despite rumors around <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/p\/porzikr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kristaps Porzingis<\/a><\/strong>, he remains the team&#8217;s second-highest player and must emerge as Doncic&#8217;s sidekick if they are to make any noise.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately though, the Mavericks go as far as Doncic takes them. He showed up unfit and overweight to begin last season and took roughly three months to get in shape. As good as Doncic is, every athlete increases their risk of injury if they don&#8217;t take care of their body. This time around, I anticipate he comes in fit and gets the Mavericks off to a much better start compared to last season.<\/p>\n<p>There are a few teams taking a step back due to injuries to key players so I expect Dallas to move ahead of them. Despite losing <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/carliri01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rick Carlisle<\/a><\/strong> in the offseason, they should be fine with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kiddja01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jason Kidd<\/a><\/strong> at the helm. If Doncic comes in ready, I expect Dallas to win more than 50 games.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Prediction<\/strong>: Over 48.5<br \/>\n<strong>Record<\/strong>: 51-31<\/p>\n<h3>NBA Lottery awaits for the Houston Rockets<\/h3>\n<p>The Houston Rockets were the NBA&#8217;s worst team last year, finishing with a 17-55 record. On the flip side, they had a great draft headlined by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/greenja05.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jalen Green<\/a><\/strong>, a rookie touted to be a future star. However, the team overall figures to be one of the worst once again and a sure-fire lottery team in 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Houston was quiet during Free Agency with their only signing being former Boston Celtics center <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/theisda01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Daniel Theis<\/a><\/strong> and re-signing <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/n\/nwabada01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">David Nwaba<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">HOUSTON ROCKETS OFFSEASON (per RealGM) <\/p>\n<p>ADDED <br \/>Daniel Theis<\/p>\n<p>RE-SIGN<br \/>David Nwaba<\/p>\n<p>LOST<br \/>Kelly Olynyk<br \/>Avery Bradley<br \/>Dante Exum<br \/>Sterling Brown<br \/>Armoni Brooks<br \/>DJ Wilson<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The Thunder Roundtable (@NBASkoolOfThort) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBASkoolOfThort\/status\/1430165945809580034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The Rockets did an intelligent job by ensuring their rookies get a lot of minutes to develop. However<strong>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/walljo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">John Wall<\/a> <\/strong>and<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/woodch01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Christian Wood<\/a><\/strong> are two players who want to win. The pair have expressed their desire to win games and make the post-season. This desire contradicts the developmental strategy Houston is trying to deploy so what happens with the pair will be interesting to monitor.<\/p>\n<p>Still, the developmental path generally equates to a lot of losing and that is what I expect for Houston this year. The line is set at 27.5 and I think this is a bit high for them. I believe they will win around 23-24 games.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Prediction<\/strong>: Under 27.5<br \/>\n<strong>Record<\/strong>: 23-59<\/p>\n<h3>Memphis Grizzlies out to prove NBA Playoff appearance wasn&#8217;t a fluke<\/h3>\n<p>The Memphis Grizzlies finally made it back to the playoffs last season, winning both of its play-in games to secure the eighth spot. While the Grizzlies put on a stunning performance to outlast <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/curryst01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephen Curry<\/a> <\/strong>and the Golden State Warriors, they were easily dispatched by the Utah Jazz in the first round. Still, this was a stepping stone for a young Memphis squad whose young stars return for another season.<\/p>\n<p>However, the Grizzlies have made some strategic moves this offseason. The club added<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/adamsst01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Steven Adams<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/dunnkr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kris Dunn<\/a><\/strong> (pending), and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/edwarca01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Carsen Edwards<\/a> <\/strong>but moved on from <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/v\/valanjo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jonas Valanciunas<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/winslju01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Justise Winslow<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/allengr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Grayson Allen<\/a><\/strong>, and<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/f\/fraziti01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tim Frazier<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES OFFSEASON (per RealGM) <\/p>\n<p>ADDED<br \/>Steven Adams<br \/>Jarrett Culver<br \/>Juancho Hernangomez<br \/>Rajon Rondo<br \/>Daniel Oturu<\/p>\n<p>RE-SIGN <br \/>Killian Tillie<\/p>\n<p>LOST<br \/>Jonas Valenciunas<br \/>Justise Winslow<br \/>Grayson Allen<br \/>Tim Frazier<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The Thunder Roundtable (@NBASkoolOfThort) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBASkoolOfThort\/status\/1430167675779571716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The impact of Adams will be the talk of the season given Valenciunas&#8217; contributions last year. Adams has been a shell of himself since being traded from Oklahoma City but receives another chance to impact the game alongside star <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/moranja01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ja Morant<\/a><\/strong>. He is a bruising big man who will undoubtedly create space for Morant to drive, reminiscent of his time with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/westbru01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Russell Westbrook<\/a><\/strong>. Morant is athletically very similar but has a floater in his arsenal. I suspect his scoring output will increase with Adams as his pick and roll partner.<\/p>\n<p>Betting lines have set Memphis at 41.5 and this should go over. The Grizzlies have the makings of a great team and their defense should jump into the top five this. They are definitely better than a 500 team.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Prediction<\/strong>: Over 41.5<br \/>\n<strong>Record<\/strong>: 46-36<\/p>\n<h3>New Orleans Pelicans<\/h3>\n<p>The New Orleans Pelicans are quickly becoming one of the most polarizing teams in the NBA. Armed with All-Stars <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/i\/ingrabr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brandon Ingram<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/willizi01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zion Williamson<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0the Pelicans haven&#8217;t come close to sniffing the playoffs since 2018. The club attempted to make the playoffs last season but fell well short of expectations, ending the year in 11th position.<\/p>\n<p>New Orleans entered NBA Free Agency with hopes of landing a star. The Pelicans possessed a mountain of picks from the<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/holidjr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jrue Holiday<\/a><\/strong> trade and attractive young assets entering Restricted Free Agency. Unfortunately, the franchise missed everything and the Pelicans had arguably the most disappointing offseason of any team in the league.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">NEW ORLEANS PELICANS OFFSEASON (per RealGM) <\/p>\n<p>ADDED<br \/>Jonas Valenciunas<br \/>DeVonte Graham<br \/>Tomas Satoransky<br \/>Garrett Temple<\/p>\n<p>RE-SIGN<br \/>Josh Hart<br \/>Wily Hernangomez<br \/>Didi Louzada<\/p>\n<p>LOST<br \/>Steven Adams<br \/>Lonzo Ball<br \/>Eric Bledsoe<br \/>Wesley Iwundu<br \/>James Johnson<br \/>James Nunnally<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The Thunder Roundtable (@NBASkoolOfThort) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBASkoolOfThort\/status\/1430168783709163530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Moving <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bledser01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Eric Bledsoe<\/a><\/strong> and<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/adamsst01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Steven Adams<\/a> <\/strong>for<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/v\/valanjo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jonas Valanciunas<\/a> <\/strong>plus re-signing <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hartjo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Josh Hart<\/a><\/strong> were solid moves. However, letting <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/balllo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lonzo Ball<\/a><\/strong> walk for virtually nothing and throwing cash at<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/grahade01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Devonte&#8217; Graham<\/a><\/strong> to replace him is a headscratcher. Graham is a terrific long-range shooter from deep (37.4 percent) on impressive volume (9.0 attempts per game) and a great playmaker but he compounds the Pelicans defensive issues.\u00a0 New Orleans ranked 24th in defensive rating (113.3) despite solid offensive numbers (11th overall, 113 offensive rating). Graham is a nice player and offers spacing but the Pelicans can&#8217;t stop anyone on the other side of the ball.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, this also falls directly on both Ingram and Williamson as well. The pair are a terrible defensive duo and seem more interested in getting numbers than containing their defensive assignments. New Orleans will never break out of its current funk until its stars buy into the defensive side of the ball.<\/p>\n<p>The line is set at 38.5 but I like the Under. New Orleans will be lucky to win 36 games.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Prediction<\/strong>: Under 38.5<br \/>\n<strong>Record<\/strong>: 36-46<\/p>\n<h3>San Antonio Spurs continue to tread in NBA Mediocrity<\/h3>\n<p>If there was a team in the NBA full of second-option players, it&#8217;s the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs continue to float in mediocrity, fluctuating between\u00a0<em>just making<\/em> or\u00a0<em>just missing<\/em> the playoffs. With Greg Popovic at the helm, it appears the club is refusing to rebuild even though it appears to be in its best interest long term. The future is hazy but one thing fans can count on is the team will compete hard and\u00a0<em>won&#8217;t beat themselves.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>San Antonio made some nice accessory moves but none move the proverbial needle. Their big offseason acquisition was former Indiana Pacers forward<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mcderdo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Doug McDermott<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">SAN ANTONIO SPURS OFFSEASON (per RealGM) <\/p>\n<p>ADDED<br \/>Thaddeus Young<br \/>Al-Farouq Aminu<br \/>Zach Collins<br \/>Chandler Hutchison<br \/>Doug McDermott<\/p>\n<p>LOST<br \/>DeMar DeRozan<br \/>Patty Mills<br \/>Rudy Gay<br \/>Gorgui Dieng<br \/>Trey Lyles<br \/>Keita Bates-Diop<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; The Thunder Roundtable (@NBASkoolOfThort) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBASkoolOfThort\/status\/1430169678618533893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">August 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The Spurs did receive a wealth of veteran leadership in<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/y\/youngth01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Thaddeus Young<\/a> <\/strong>and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/aminual01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Al-Farouq Aminu<\/a> <\/strong>plus two <em>wait-and-see <\/em>guys in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/colliza01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zach Collins<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hutchch01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chandler Hutchison<\/a><\/strong>. However, coupling these moves with <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2021\/09\/10\/dejounte-murray-all-star\/\" target=\"_self\">upcoming<\/a> studs <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/murrade01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dejounte Murray<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/whitede01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Derrick White<\/a>, <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/johnske04.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Keldon Johnson<\/a><\/strong> and<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/walkelo01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lonnie Walker<\/a> <\/strong>makes no sense. The once decorated franchise is in a holding pattern until it decides to rebuild but right now, they appear to be happy with treading water.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s likely San Antonio will struggle again this season, especially now that <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/derozde01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">DeMar DeRozan<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/millspa02.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Patty Mills<\/a><\/strong>, and<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gayru01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rudy Gay<\/a> <\/strong>are gone. Additionally, it&#8217;s difficult to see Young and Aminu lasting the year so I suspect there will also be some mid-season moves.<\/p>\n<p>The line is set at 28.5 but I do believe they will just cover that line.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Prediction<\/strong>: Over 28.5<br \/>\n<strong>Record<\/strong>: 29-53<\/p>\n<p>Main Image: <a id=\"EIFMxyYIRsF4Duc0DxHnQg\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1184294751\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'EIFMxyYIRsF4Duc0DxHnQg',sig:'jIvpbosFtr86NStofWuuFDkeR_KP9SkFiUC7uI90H0s=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1184294751',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The NBA Southwest Division is set for another competitive year as the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, and San Antonio Spurs are set to compete for a playoff berth. Bookies have Dallas as the favorite to win the most games in the division closely followed by Memphis. NBA 2021-22 Win\/Loss Totals [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3477,"featured_media":42530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,30,31,32,62,556,50437,33,34],"tags":[175,333,207,1167,4052,220,55],"class_list":["post-42167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-mavericks","category-rockets","category-grizzlies","category-nba","category-nba-draft","category-nba-predictions","category-pelicans","category-spurs","tag-dallas-mavericks","tag-houston-rockets","tag-memphis-grizzlies","tag-nba-off-season","tag-nba-predictions","tag-new-orleans-pelicans","tag-san-antonio-spurs"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3477"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42167"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":191962,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42167\/revisions\/191962"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}