Southwest Division (NBA)
The Southwest Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association. The division is located in the South Central United States and consists of five teams, the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Rockets, the Memphis Grizzlies, the New Orleans Pelicans and the San Antonio Spurs. Three of the teams, the Mavericks, Rockets, and Spurs, are based in Texas.
Consisting of some of the most historically competitive teams in the NBA's Western Conference, the division was created at the start of the 2004–05 season, when the league expanded from 29 to 30 teams with the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats. The league realigned itself into three divisions in each conference. The Southwest Division began with five inaugural members, the Mavericks, the Rockets, the Grizzlies, the Hornets and the Spurs. The Mavericks, the Rockets, the Grizzlies and the Spurs joined from the now-defunct Midwest Division, while the Pelicans joined from the Central Division.
The Spurs have been dominant since the division's inaugural season, having won the most Southwest Division titles with nine. The Mavericks and Rockets have won two titles each, and the Pelicans have won one title. The Grizzlies have never won the Southwest Division title. Four NBA champions came from the Southwest Division. The Spurs won the NBA championship in 2005, 2007 and 2014, while the Mavericks won in 2011. In the 2007–08 season, all four teams that qualified for the playoffs each had more than 50 wins. In the 2010–11 season and the 2014–15 season, all teams in the division had winning percentages above 0.500. In the 2014–15 season, the Southwest Division saw every one of its teams making the playoffs, a feat achieved only twice in the last 30 years. The most recent division champion is the Houston Rockets.
Standings
Notes- z – Clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs
- x – Clinched playoff spot
Teams
Division champions
| Season | Team | Record | Playoffs result |
| San Antonio Spurs | 59–23 | Won NBA Finals | |
| San Antonio Spurs | 63–19 | Lost Conference Semifinals | |
| Dallas Mavericks^ | 67–15 | Lost First Round | |
| New Orleans Hornets | 56–26 | Lost Conference Semifinals | |
| San Antonio Spurs | 54–28 | Lost First Round | |
| Dallas Mavericks | 55–27 | Lost First Round | |
| San Antonio Spurs | 61–21 | Lost First Round | |
| San Antonio Spurs^ | 50–16 | Lost Conference Finals | |
| San Antonio Spurs | 58–24 | Lost NBA Finals | |
| San Antonio Spurs^ | 62–20 | Won NBA Finals | |
| Houston Rockets | 56–26 | Lost Conference Finals | |
| San Antonio Spurs | 67–15 | Lost Conference Semifinals | |
| San Antonio Spurs | 61–21 | Lost Conference Finals | |
| Houston Rockets^ | 65–17 | Lost Conference Finals | |
| Houston Rockets | 53–29 | Lost Conference Semifinals |