The Daily’s NBA preview concludes today with a look at one of the strongest divisions in the league, the Midwest Division in the Western Conference.

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs, last year’s NBA champions, will no doubt be a strong contender for the title again.

San Antonio is led by the double post tandem of David Robinson and Tim Duncan, by far the best of any such duo in the league.

The backcourt will once again include solid point guard Avery Johnson and newcomer Mario Elie, who will provide a threat from outside.

Chucky Brown will replace Sean Elliot, who was a key performer for the Spurs in their title run of a year ago.

Off the bench, Jaren Jackson and Terry Porter will spell the guards, while the physical Malik Rose will be the main big man off the bench.

Besides the losses of Elliot and big man Will Perdue, the Spurs remain intact. Staying healthy as always will be a key, but look for the Spurs to be there in the end.

Utah Jazz

Utah will once again try to ride the veteran nucleus that has gotten them to the Finals twice but never has won them a championship.

Point guard John Stockton and power forward Karl Malone each will be back again, along with Iowa State alum Jeff Hornacek.

Those three, along with Byron Russell and newly acquired Olden Polynice, will form the starting five.

Off the bench, Utah will have Howard Eisley and rookie Quincy Lewis to spell the veterans Stockton and Hornacek.

Adam Keefe and Pete Chillcutt will provide veteran depth off the bench as well as former starter Greg Ostertag.

A big loss to the team was the departure of the athletic Shandon Anderson. The Jazz have no one to replace the valuable things that he brought to the table.

Utah will once again be a solid regular season team, but look for them to be upset in the early going of the playoffs.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves’ fortunes this season will be largely based on the health of point guard Terell Brandon. When he is at 100 percent, there are few in the league who can produce the way he can.

However, he has not played a full season in four years, and whether rookie William Avery can step in and be a starter if Brandon goes down is a big question.

Of course, Kevin Garnett will be back. At 22, he just keeps getting better and better. Last season, he averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds, and look for that kind of production again this season.

Joe Smith will be the other forward, and his athletic ability made him a valuable asset to the team last year. Anthony Peeler will be the starting shooting guard, and the Wolves are noticeably thin at center with Dean Garrett getting the nod.

Wally Szczerbiak, the rookie from Miami (Oh.), had a very strong preseason and could become a key player. Others off the pine include Sam Mitchell, Malik Sealy and Bobby Jackson.

With a healthy Brandon and a contributing Szczerbiak, the Timberwolves could soar to new heights in the Midwest.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets have a team with a bit of a different look than the one that went 31-19 last year.

Steve Francis, the heralded rookie out of Maryland, will be the starting point guard, and Scottie Pippen is gone. Other newcomers include Shandon Anderson, a free agent from Utah, and Kelvin Cato, a center from the Blazers who was recently signed to a long-term deal.

Still with Houston are future Hall-of-Famers Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon, who will get a ton of rebounds as usual. Walt Williams, acquired in the deal for Pippen, will start at small forward.

Off the bench, Carlos Rogers, Bryce Drew and Cuttino Mobley will all be contributors.

The Rockets have an interesting blend of youth and experience, but it won’t be enough to lead them to a title.

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets will have a much different look from year’s past, which is a decidedly good thing.

Nick Van Exel will start at the point guard, while long-time Nugget Bryant Stith will join him in the backcourt.

Ron Mercer was acquired from Boston, and will fill the hole at small forward, while superstar Antonio McDyess and solid second-year man Raef LaFrentz will fill out a very decent starting five.

Depth could be a question, as beyond Chauncey Billups and George McCloud, the Nuggets will have to rely on the starting unit to be competitive.

However, Denver will be a much improved team, and if it weren’t for the abnormally strong Western Conference, they might be challenging for a playoff spot.

Vancouver Grizzlies

Power forward Shareef Abdul-Rahim continues to be one of the best-kept secrets in the league. Beyond that, the Grizzlies are not a very talented bunch and will continue to struggle.

Point guard Mike Bibby showed flashes of brilliance in his initial campaign, and Bryant Reeves is a serviceable center. Michael Dickerson and Othella Harrington, both acquired in the deal that sent Steve Francis to Houston, will start.

Off the bench, Grant Long, Felipe Lopez and Brent Price will all contribute.

They should be grateful for the Mavericks, the only thing that is keeping them out of the cellar again.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks won 19 of 50 games last year, and the percentage should be around the same this season.

Steve Nash will be the point guard for the team, while Michael Finley, the team’s highest scorer and best player, will be the starter at shooting guard.

Cedric Ceballos, who can score but do little else, will be the small forward, while second-year man Dirk Nowitski will be the other starting forward.

In the middle will be the much maligned Shawn Bradley, who, despite being 7-foot-6, only pulled down eight rebounds a game last year.

Off the bench, Gary Trent and Hubert Davis should be solid contributors.

The Mavs will once again be a very poor team, and until they get rid of coach-general manager Don Nelson, they will continue to be.