email I sent to a friend on Oct. 14th-- before Bayless trade. Ok. So I looked at all of the rosters of the teams in the Southwest Division and no one really scares me. Why can’t we win the Southwest? I think we have made some really good offseason moves considering our financial constraints. We still need a decent backup PG but other than that if we stay healthy I think we can contend. Maybe another defensive PF/C that can rebound but let’s see hopefully someone on the current roster steps up. Apparently, Jason Smith played well last night Saw we signed another big body DJ Mbenga. Looks like an extra body with no offensive skills but given enough minutes he sounds like a decent defensive player who can rebound. At this point until we get rid of Peja this about all we can do. But... What if Peja is finally healthy and he and Thornton provide the boost we need from the bench? Call me an optimist but I don’t think we are as bad off as the national media thinks. Or just call me delusional..

Really hope you are right! And if this team could get just one more big that could control the boards for stretches in the game (A Birdman for Denver in 08-09 type)- I could see 50 wins being possible.

Bah. 50 wins and fourth seed (tie-breaks) you heard it here first!....and well maybe last.

joe- bucks over the bulls? really?

Thanks. I think we see them same way: capable, but not enough. I do appreciate the details. I say love affair because generally they seem to be a popular pick across the board, not just on here. Winning a division is more about consistently good play throughout the year, and I think the points you make establish why they are the front-runner to be just that. I can't stand them. Other than the obvious one, I have zero problem with the Spurs taking the division.

Am i the only one to see this? JG has MIA over LA in the finals, but doesn't even have MIA in the Eastern conference finals? Am I missing something?

OKC ain`t goin to no conference Finals. They`re too young and will crack on the pressure everyone has given them.

Watching The Rockets last night they looked pretty darn good.

Deep, talented, and you know they are willing to add a piece.

Can someone explain the love affair with Dallas to me? I see them as a capable team that will not win a title this year. Admittedly, I seem to have an irrational disrespect for them that I can't explain really, but I just don't see them as a clear winner. A few words about Dallas would be nice. Otherwise, I smell what you're cooking.