NBA season preview: SouthWest division packing a tough bunch of five

It starts with the defending champion San Antonio Spurs and it doesn't get much easier from there.

All five teams in the SouthWest division expect to make the NBA playoffs. Four of them did last season and the odd one out, New Orleans, will be pressing for the top eight in the west after a series of serious injuries put a huge dent in their 2013-14 campaign.

The fourth-worst of these five teams tallied 49 wins last season. That would have given Dallas the three seed in the Eastern Conference. And the Mavericks are arguably better this time around with Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler added to the roster.

Unlike last year when Miami were atop the pecking order, San Antonio are undoubtedly the team to beat. They have retained the entire championship-winning squad and apart from Patty Mills' delayed start to the season following shoulder surgery, should hit the ground running at their usual monotonous pace of regular wins.

Memphis and Houston each expect to earn home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs and if they don't finish in the top four in the west, it would be a surprise if they're not somewhere in the playoff equation.

Here's how the SouthWest teams are lining up for season 2014-15.

Dallas (Last season: 49-33)

Gains: Al-Farouq Aminu (Pelicans), Tyson Chandler (Knicks), Raymond Felton (Knicks), Eric Griffin (rookie), Richard Jefferson (Jazz), Ivan Johnson, Doron Lamb (Magic), Jameer Nelson (Magic), Chandler Parsons (Rockets), Greg Smith (Bulls), Charlie Villanueva (Pistons).

Losses: DeJuan Blair (Wizards), José Calderón (Knicks), Vince Carter (Grizzlies), Samuel Dalembert (Knicks), Wayne Ellington (Lakers), Shane Larkin (Knicks), Shawn Marion (Cavaliers).

Possibly the hardest team to get a gauge on in the NBA. They brought Tyson Chandler back from New York but is he over the hill? Monta Ellis had it all last season but was that just a flash in the pan? Chandler Parsons was picked up in a nightclub booth with a hefty tab but will he make a big difference on the floor? Raymond Felton was embarrassingly bad for the Knicks last year so will they risk trying to get anything out of him or play ex-Magic guard Jameer Nelson huge minutes? At least Dirk Nowitzki can be relied upon to keep hitting those jumpers.

Prediction: Playoffs again but won't threaten the top four.

Houston (54-28)

Gains:  Jeff Adrien (Bucks), Trevor Ariza (Wizards), Clint Capela (rookie), Nick Johnson (rookie), Kostas Papanikolaou (rookie), Ish Smith (Suns), Jason Terry (Kings).

Losses: Omer Asik (Pelicans), Omri Casspi (Kings), Jordan Hamilton (Pistons), Jeremy Lin (Lakers), Chandler Parsons (Mavericks).

Dwight Howard and James Harden are very good players but there are doubts about their ability to turn a good team into a championship contender. They couldn't do it last year and now they'll have to do it without key role players Jeremy Lin, Parsons and Asik, replaced only by a greater reliance on lockdown guard Patrick Beverley and ex-Wizards forward Trevor Ariza, who has been signed for $32 million until the end of the 2017-18 season but in recent years has only seemed to fire when playing for a contract.

Prediction: Could drop out of the playoff equation if Howard or Harden get hurt.

Memphis (50-32)

Gains: Jordan Adams (rookie), Vince Carter (Mavericks), Earl Clark, Jarnell Stokes (rookie), Hassan Whiteside.

Losses: Ed Davis (Lakers), Jamaal Franklin, James Johnson (Pistons), Mike Miller (Cavaliers).

If Marc Gasol had not missed a large chunk of the start of the season with injury last year, the Grizzlies would have  inished higher than seventh and their post-season could have had a much different and lengthier storyline. They have a stable roster, Vince Carter will give them another veteran presence and another string to their scoring bow but it's hard to see Memphis getting past the Clippers, Spurs or Thunder at the top of the western standings.

Prediction: Fifth or sixth in the west, unless they can get trade for some young legs.

New Orleans (34-48)

Gains: Omer Asik (Rockets), Jimmer Fredette (Bulls), Kevin Jones, John Salmons (Pistons), Russ Smith (rookie), D.J. Stephens, Patric Young (rookie).

Losses: Al-Farouq Aminu (Mavericks), Melvin Ely, Anthony Morrow (Thunder), Brian Roberts (Hornets), Jason Smith (Knicks).

Monty Williams is probably the coach with the most precarious grip on his position in the NBA. Injuries wrote off last season. He can't afford another season like that. The addition of Omer Asik gives budding superstar Anthony Davis a front-court partner, Ryan Anderson is healthy again and should be good for close to 20 points a game leading the secondary unit, while Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon and Jrue Holiday are talented perimeter players that Williams needs to turn into consistent performers.

Prediction: Will go close to the playoffs and Williams will get fired if they don't.

San Antonio (62-20)

Gains: Kyle Anderson (rookie), Bryce Cotton (rookie), Josh Davis (rookie), JaMychal Green (rookie).

Losses: Damion James (Wizards).

The championship-winning roster was obviously not broke so Gregg Popovich saw no need to change it. San Antonio have never been able to go back to back after their four previous titles and there's an element of risk not tinkering with their ageing roster. It hasn't led the to the oft-predicted drop-off that pundits have been foreseeing for years with the Spurs and you won't read anything here that challenges the wisdom of Pop's plan but no team no matter how great can afford to stand still when all their main rivals are moving forward.

Prediction: Yet another 50-plus win season and yet again title contenders.