Coming into the postseason, most pundits figured Utah's frontcourt size could give the Spurs some trouble in Round One, but so far San Antonio has been in complete control of the series. Al Jefferson called last night's blowout "embarrassing" and said the Spurs have an unmistakable swagger, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein. I still think the Jazz can take a game or two from the Spurs, but the odds of San Antonio being knocked off by an eighth seed again look very slim.
Here are the rest of the day's updates out of the Southwest Division:
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld writes that O.J. Mayo appears unlikely to re-sign the Grizzlies, and examines some potential landing spots for the former third overall pick.
- Mayo was reportedly nearly traded to the Celtics at this season's trade deadline, but he tells Chris Mannix of SI.com that Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace never approached him about a possible deal.
- Although speculation earlier this season suggested Shawn Marion could eventually be traded or amnestied to clear cap space, Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com argues that the Mavericks need "The Matrix" going forward.
- Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune discusses the possibility of rebranding the New Orleans franchise and changing the Hornets nickname.