With the Spurs attempting to mitigate Tony Parker's ankle injury, the Grizzlies and Rockets firmly in the playoff picture, and the Mavericks attempting to stay out of the lottery, the Southwest Division is one of the more fascinating in the league currently. Here is a roundup of the latest updates:

• Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune writes that Grievis Vasquez is thriving in an increased role for the Hornets.
• Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune profiles Rockets rookie Royce White, who is attempting to carve out an NBA career for himself while managing an anxiety disorder.
• Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is demanding accountability from his rookies, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
• Dirk Nowitzki is excited to have another native German in the NBA in Rockets rookie Tim Ohlbrecht, Sefko writes.
• Jan Hubbard of SheridanHoops.com writes that Jerry Colangelo should hire Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich to coach Team USA.

A roundup of the latest news and notes from around the NBA on Tuesday evening:

• Mike Krzyzewski has issued a statement refuting recent reports that he will return as head coach of Team USA, reiterating that he intends to stay retired (Reuters report via the New York Times).
• Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes that the Mavericks should be an attractive free-agent destination for Dwight Howard this summer.
• Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld is impressed with Maurice Harkless' recent play as he has been given a greater opportunity for minutes on the rebuilding Magic.
• Sean Deveney of the Sporting News ranks the best rookies of this season, headlined by Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard.
• Erik Gundersen of TrailBlazers.com chronicles the relationship between Trail Blazers guards Wesley Matthews and Eric Maynor, dating back to their rookie season together in Utah.
• Amir Johnson praises Cavs big man Tristan Thompson to Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun.
• Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com wonders whether the Celtics could have traded for Marcus Morris from the Rockets.

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Saturday afternoon:

• Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes that Jeremy Lin is thriving with the Rockets.
• Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal takes a look at the Knicks' roster's defensive weaknesses, especially defending reserve scorers.
• USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that Damian Lillard is on his radar for an invite to this summer's Team USA mini-camp.
• Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun writes that Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo still intends to take a patient approach with Andrea Bargnani.