Last season the Dallas Mavericks (55-27) finished with the second-best record in the Western Conference and won the Southwest Division title by five games over the No. 6 San Antonio Spurs (53-29).

The Mavericks were then promptly bounced from the first round of the playoffs by the Spurs, who went on to get swept by the Phoenix Suns in four games in the second round.

Failing to advance to the postseason were the Houston Rockets (42-40), Memphis Grizzlies (40-42) and New Orleans Hornets (37-45).

– Local Flavor –

Mavericks Guard DeShawn Stevenson started 82 games for the Magic in his final year with the team (2005-06) after coming over during the 2003-04 season… Former UCF star Jermaine Taylor enters his second season at guard with the Houston Rockets… Houston Guard Courtney Lee is with his third team in three years after starting out with the Magic in 2008-09… Guard/Forward Trevor Ariza joins the Hornets this season after a year in Houston. He played in 89 games for the Magic from 2005-08… New Orleans Coach Monty Williams played for Orlando from 1999-02, near the end of his career.

––– Previewing the Southwest Division –––

Below, Jeff Clark at CelticsBlog offers up a collection of Southwest Division previews for the upcoming season.

– Grizzlies:  Straight Outta Vancouver | 3 Shades of Blue | SBN Recap

– Hornets: At the Hive | Hornets247 | SBN Recap

– Mavericks: MavsMoneyball | The Two Man Game

– Rockets: The Dream Shake | SBN Recap

– Spurs: Pounding the Rock | Project Spurs | SBN Recap

––– MORE PREVIEWS –––

Northwest Division

Central Division

Pacific Division

Atlantic Division

Southeast Division

– (email JC@OrlandoSportsCentral.com or follow @OrlandoSportsJC and Carnahan Chronicles) –