Editor’s note: This was written well before that butt whipping from Wednesday.

The southwest division looked to be a juggernaut for years to come just a few short years ago. The Mavericks were Luka Doncic’s team, San Antonio had just drafted Victor Wembanyama, Ja Morant and the Grizzlies looked very solid, Zion Williamson was still considered to be a franchise guy and the Rockets were coming out of a rebuild. Turn the page to the here and now, and this division is no longer held in the regard that it once was.

On those very San Antonio Spurs, this is now year three of the Wembanyama experience, and being a lottery team is not acceptable when you have a player of that caliber on your team. The Mavericks made the playoffs in Luka Doncic’s second season. Last year’s Spurs didn’t sniff the p

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