Southwest Division Weekly Review Nov. 4th- Nov. 10th

Nov 10, 2013; New York, NY, USA; San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker (9) drives to the net during the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Spurs won 120-89. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

San Antonio Spurs – Season Record: 6-1

Week of November 4^th-November 10^th: 4-0

 What? The Spurs are 6-1 and in first place of the Western Conference? Well I can’t say I’m surprised. While you’ll be hard pressed to find the media covering San Antonio, this is pretty much the same team that made the NBA Finals last season. Tony Parker is very quietly putting up MVP caliber numbers, scoring 17 points and dishing out 6 dimes in the win over the New York Knicks on Sunday night. Danny Green finally flashed some of that NBA Finals magic. Green’s 6 3-pointers were huge for his team (and my fantasy basketball team).

Ever since guard Marco Belinelli replaced Kawhi Leonard in the starting lineup earlier this week, this team has looked even more complete. Leonard dominates the second team and Belinelli adds another spot up shooter for Parker to dish to. It’s difficult to say if this team will be able to finish the full 82 game season with this kind of play but early on, the San Antonio Spurs look as solid as ever.

This week: @ 76ers, vs. Wizards, @ Jazz

Dallas Mavericks – Season Record: 4-3

Week of November 4^th-November 10^th: 2-2

 A .500 record for the week in the Western Conference isn’t going to get you many places, but considering the Mavericks schedule, you might say this week was a success. After completely dismantling a Los Angeles Lakers team in which Monta Ellis looked like an all-star, Dallas was faced with two very difficult road matchups in Oklahoma City and Minnesota.

They hung with the Thunder for a while until Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook had enough, and were actually beating the Minnesota Timberwolves at halftime (Kevin Love put up a 33,15, and 8 line in that game). The Mavs rebounded well after the two losses to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half of a back-to-back. Ellis had 18 and Dirk Nowitski had 16 in the win. The Mavs host an improved Wizards team Tuesday night.

This week: vs. Wizards, @ Heat, @ Magic

Nov 9, 2013; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley (11) lays the ball up against Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Memphis Grizzlies – Season Record: 3-3

Week of November 4^th-November 10^th: 2-1

The Grizzlies start to the season has not really been as poor as their record immediately looks. At 3-3, Memphis is in 10^th place in the Western Conference, just behind their rivals, Dallas. While a home loss to the New Orleans Pelicans is disappointing, the Grizzlies have looked solid thus far. In general, they are taking care of business against the teams they should beat like Detroit and Boston.

Saturday night’s dominating win over Golden State was impressive as well. Zach Randolph’s 23 points and 11 rebounds helped to overpower the Warriors, who only shot 42 percent from the field and only scored 13 points in the 4^th quarter. Mike Conley also put up 20 points and handed out 6 dimes in the 108-90 rout. Unfortunately for Grizzlies fans, I still don’t see enough improvement to make a difference in the long run. Still expect a middle of the table finish for Memphis.

This week: @ Pacers, vs. Raptors, @ Lakers, @ Kings

New Orleans Pelicans – Season Record: 3-4

Week of November 4^th-November 10^th: 2-2

 This was a confusing week for the Pelicans. While they beat the likes of the Grizzlies and the Lakers, those two wins were surrounded by losses to the Phoenix Suns. Not to worry, the Suns are off to a quick start at 5-2 but don’t expect them to keep it up. The Pelicans still haven’t quick found their stride. Tyreke Evans in particular has been noticeably absent. The guard, who’s career average of 17.2 points is down to 7.3 this season, is barely getting any team because of his lack of chemistry thus far.

On the bright side, Anthony Davis is quietly putting up MVP caliber numbers with 21.7 points and 11.6 rebounds, as well as a ridiculous 3.86 blocks per game. The Pelicans will get better when they find help off the bench with the likes of Evans and Austin Rivers. New Orleans is in Los Angeles Tuesday night to take on the faltering Lakers.

This Week: @ Lakers, @ Jazz, vs. 76ers