The San Antonio Spurs are quietly on pace to finish with the third-best record in NBA history this season. That is pretty impressive for a franchise that has become a model of consistency over the years, especially when measured against its division rivals. The Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans have all underachieved this season, with the latter two on the outside looking in to the Western Conference playoff picture. Nothing is more important than the present but all five teams have acquired some intriguing young talent and it will be those players that help determine the fortunes of these franchises in the coming years. Here is a look at the most promising prospect for each team from the NBA’s Southwest division.
Kyle Anderson, San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio’s roster is loaded with veteran talent so it should be no surprise that Anderson is their top prospect. The 22-year-old big man has slowly developed in to a serviceable forward off the bench but he still has a lot of work to do if he wants to prove he can be an NBA starter. Anderson has averaged just 15.3 minutes in 70 games this season and he will have to work on his pace and shooting if he is going to carve out a bigger role for himself with the Spurs moving forward.
Jarell Martin, Memphis Grizzlies
The 25th-overall pick from the 2015 NBA Draft still has a long way to go to become an NBA starter but the Grizzlies have to be happy with what they have seen from him so far. Martin has the size but he needs to work on his jump shot and develop his awareness if he is going to succeed as a pro. Memphis has plenty of talent, veteran big men and that will allow the 21-years-old Martin the time he needs to develop.
Clint Capela, Houston Rockets
Capela might never lead the NBA in rebounding but he has already emerged as a solid player with the potential to replace Dwight Howard should the Rockets decide to part ways with him. The 2014 first-round pick has averaged 7.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game for Houston this season and he showed flashes of his ability to handle bigger minutes when Howard was injured earlier in the season. The Rockets don’t have many talented young prospects but Capela is a good one with the potential to eventually become a starter down the line.
Justin Anderson, Dallas Mavericks
Anderson is a talented rookie with the potential to become a quality NBA starter down the line, but he needs to improve his jump shot if he is going to be successful. Anderson has hit just 39-percent of his field goal attempts and only 25-percent of his three-point attempts in his first year. We’ve already seen that he can do better than this as he was one of the surprises of Summer League. Now he just has to work a little bit harder in the offseason to improve on his shooting. Remember that he played for a Virginia team that didn’t rely so much on his offensive game, but he has it, so he’s still working on being more consistent in that realm. There is no doubt he has the size and handles to excel in the NBA, but he won’t earn a starting job as a shooting guard until he actually improves his ability to shoot the ball.
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans’ plans to build around Davis have not gone as expected and it’s amazing that he is still the closest thing on their roster to a college player. Davis was shut down for the remainder of the season after he underwent surgery to address a nagging knee injury but he is still just 23-years-old and is already one of the NBA’s best big men. Davis averaged 24.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 61 games this season and the surgery combined with a chance to rest the remainder of the year might very well be the best thing for him moving forward.
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