Who is the best basketball team in Texas? The Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs all survived the gauntlet of the Western Conference. The Texas Triangle rivals will battle it out to in the playoffs to see who will be the star, in the Lone Star State.
The Mavericks have a starting five that can really play with anybody. The quintet of Rajon Rondo, Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons, Dirk Nowitzki, and Tyson Chandler on paper might be one of the best in the playoffs. While Rondo’s arrival in December should’ve helped the Mavs, it seemed to really cause some uneasiness and divide within the team. The Mavs will also deal with Chandler Parsons being heavily booed in Houston after joining Dallas for more money. If the Mavericks can ignore the off the court issues and work together, they might pull off the upset.
The Rockets have a high powered offense that mainly orbits around All-Star and MVP candidate James Harden. Harden had 647 made baskets, and still had 565 assists, which provided 40% of the Rockets offense. Harden gets the basket with ease, and leads the league with 824 free throw attempts, on which he shot 86.8%. His productivity fuels the Rockets offense, allowing teammates like Corey Brewer, Jason Terry, Trevor Ariza and others to knock down threes, while Superman Dwight Howard and Terrence Jones provide a big power presence inside.
San Antonio comes into the playoffs a little disappointed, ending up in the 6th seed after losing its regular season finale. Not to worry though. If history repeats itself, the Spurs shouldn’t have trouble winning on the road in the playoffs. They have a tough match-up with the Clippers, but in 2012, the Spurs swept the Clippers in the second round. Of course, the Spurs have their big three of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili. You could call it the big 4 and add young superstar Kawhi Leonard. Tim Duncan, at age 38, is playing fierce and better than ever, and is hungry for a 6th championship. The Spurs are known as a true team, so everyone contributes when they play. Even in the 6th seed, the Western Conference should fear the Spurs, as they continue their “Race for Seis.”
These three teams all have the talent to make a serious title run. With the Rockets and Mavericks facing off early, and a possible second round matchup between the Spurs and the winner of the Mavs vs Rockets series, this will be an intriguing story to follow to see who will be the king of Texas.