NBA Preview: Key Players to Monitor in the Southwest Division

The 2025 NBA season tips off with injury storylines already looming large. Several high-profile players are returning from major surgeries or long rehab processes, while others carry lingering durability concerns that could dictate their availability throughout the year. As the season begins, medical staffs will be tasked with balancing recovery, workload management, and the demands of an 82-game grind. Early setbacks or re-aggravations could shift team trajectories quickly, making health one of the most important factors in determining how this season plays out. We highlight ten players to keep an eye on as training camps open up, and what to look forward to from them this season. Here is a preview of the Southwest Division and some players to watch for as the NBA regular season approaches.

Dallas Mavericks - Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis underwent offseason surgery to repair a detached retina in his right eye, a result of multiple blows to the face last year. The procedure was successful, and while he reported to Mavericks camp about 15 pounds heavier than last season, he is still expected to recover fully and resume his workload. The main concern is his position’s frequent contact, which increases the risk of re-injury, leading doctors to require protective eyewear for the rest of his career. Notably, Amare Stoudemire underwent a similar surgery during his career and returned without any decline in performance, offering optimism for Davis’s outlook.

San Antonio Spurs - Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama enters the 25–26 season with high stakes and cautious optimism. After being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder and missing the latter half of last season, he’s now been medically cleared to return to full basketball activity. While the prognosis looks favorable, the ramp-up will require careful monitoring—especially given the physical demands of his size and style of play. If he regains his pre-clot form without relapse, Wembanyama’s two-way impact on both ends could again anchor San Antonio’s trajectory and reestablish him as one of the league’s most dynamic young frontier players.

Memphis Grizzlies - Frontcourt (Brandon Clarke, Zach Edey, Jaren Jackson)

Brandon Clarke underwent a procedure to address knee synovitis in late-September and will be re-evaluated in early November. Clarke missed the last 14 regular-season games and the four games in the first round of the playoffs during the 2024-25 season due to a PCL sprain. Throughout his career, the 28-year-old has frequently battled injuries, never playing more than 64 regular-season games in his previous six seasons in Memphis. He is expected to make a full recovery from the knee procedure, but the exact timing of his debut during the 2025-26 season remains uncertain. Edey underwent surgery to address laxity in his left ankle June 7 but has since been cleared for basketball activities and should be ready for Opening Night. Jaren Jackson underwent a procedure to repair a turf toe injury in his right foot in early July and has been cleared to begin ramping up his basketball activities. The return timetable gives the star big man a chance to be ready for Opening Night, though Memphis will likely exercise caution during training camp.

New Orleans Pelicans - Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson’s NBA career has been defined by flashes of dominance interrupted by recurring injuries, including a right knee meniscus tear as a rookie, a Jones fracture in his right foot that cost him the entire 2021–22 season, and repeated hamstring strains that sidelined him for much of 2023 and 2024. After managing to play 70 games in 2023–24—his most durable campaign yet—he re-injured his left hamstring in November 2024, missing roughly two months. Now entering the 2025–26 season healthy, leaner, and reportedly in peak condition, Zion looks poised to re-establish himself as one of the league’s most explosive forces and a central piece of the Pelicans’ push toward playoff contention.

Houston Rockets - Dorian Finney-Smith

After undergoing offseason surgery on his left ankle, Finney-Smith remains limited and unlikely to be ready for Opening Night. Once cleared, the veteran forward is expected to play a key role in the Rockets’ rotation, but his absence early on should open up frontcourt minutes for Tari Eason, while Jae’Sean Tate and Josh Okogie could also see expanded opportunities.

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