With the NBA season tipping off tomorrow night, here is a look at the highly competitive Northwest Division. Let’s see what the competition is looking like this year for the Blazers.1. Portland – We’ve heard from numerous Blazers that a primary goal this season is to win the Northwest Division outright, and it’s a goal that they believe is realistic. After a disappointing first round loss to Houston in last year’s playoffs, the lingering taste of the postseason is still on their minds. Brandon Roy is fresh off of a max-contract extension and will look to build on his Second-Team All-NBA selection of last year. LaMarcus Aldridge finally got paid too, has bulked up, and hopes to make his first All-Star Game appearance this year in Dallas. The much-maligned Greg Oden also looks poised to prove doubters wrong as he has slimmed down, gotten in shape, and not only added post moves but also a palpable amount of renewed confidence. These young stars will also have the strongest supporting cast they’ve ever had, which has all Blazers fans eternally optimistic about the team’s chances this year. Despite the recent news of Nic Batum needing shoulder surgery (likely sidelining him for four to five months), the Blazers are one of those rare teams that truly can afford to lose a starter to injury before the season starts and still live up to expectations. While Portland will miss Batum’s defensive presence, his absence will free up more floor time for wing players like Martell Webster, Travis Outlaw and Rudy Fernandez, potentially diverting some potential chemistry issues (at least for the short term). On top of their young and talented core, the added depth and veteran experience added by players like Andre Miller and Juwan Howard should pay huge dividends in guiding this team to success. Portland is the deepest and arguably the most talented team in the Northwest Division, and anything less than a division title would be a disappointment for this team and their fans.
2. Denver — The Nuggets were largely overlooked last season, and surprised the West by going all the way to the Western Conference finals. Their ascent to the West’s elite was a direct result of the influence of Chauncey Billups, who was acquired in a mid-season trade for Allen Iverson. Billups not only gave them the experienced floor general they were in need of, but also brought a winning, team-first attitude to the group. With Billups fully integrated and Carmelo Anthony completely healthy, the Nuggets could give teams fits again this year. They have tenacious and underrated frontcourt players in Nene, Chris Andersen and Kenyon Martin, and a dynamic sparkplug on the perimeter in J.R. Smith. One potential concern for the Nuggets could be their lack of depth, as they will be without Linas Kleiza and Dahntay Jones – both of whom were steady role players for Denver. Health permitting, the Nuggets will likely be a serious threat to contend for the top spot in the NW Division.
3. Utah – The Jazz were discarded by the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs with little resistance, and have not been their usual imposing force as of late. They have shown an inability to consistently win on the road, and they have been frequently hampered by injuries to key players. That being said, when this group is healthy, they have the talent to compete with the best in the league. One of the best things they have going for them is that they have been able to retain their top players over the last several years, resulting in great chemistry and deep knowledge of coach Jerry Sloan’s system. The Jazz will rely heavily again on their stars Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer (who they were unable to deal in the offseason). Andrei Kirilenko will also see an increased role for the Jazz this year with C.J. Miles out for now after undergoing thumb surgery. Their biggest offseason move was retaining Paul Millsap, whom the Blazers had signed to a “toxic” offer sheet. Although it cost them the big bucks, it secured an imposing and versatile frontcourt for the Jazz. The Jazz also added rookie Eric Maynor, who should be invaluable to Utah as a dynamic backup point guard – a role which has been glaringly absent for the Jazz in recent years. If the Jazz can solve their road woes, look for them to be highly competitive in the NW Division race. I don’t see them surpassing the records of either Portland or Denver this season, but they should find themselves in the playoffs again this season.
4. Oklahoma City – The Thunder are slowly coming into their own and have done a great job building a strong foundation of talented young players through the draft. This, of course, begins with Kevin Durant, who established himself as one of the league’s most-lethal scorers in the league last season. Place Durant alongside the quickly developing Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook and there is a very bright future in OKC. The Thunder continued to add to their young core by adding one of the most NBA-ready players in the NBA Draft in Arizona State’s James Harden. The Thunder were increasingly competitive as last season wound down, and we will continue to see that trend this year. Once this team learns what it takes to win, they could give some teams problems this year. Playoffs are still a couple of years away for this young team, but they are clearly headed in the right direction. Another year under their belt should do them a world of good.
5. Minnesota – The Timberwolves have a new coach in Kurt Rambis and are looking to implement a new up-tempo approach to the game. Their cornerstone Al Jefferson dropped some serious weight this offseason in an effort to be more efficient in their fast-paced offense. Jefferson will be relied on heavily this season on both ends of the court this season, as the T’Wolves have even fewer proven players to rely on this year. They will be without Kevin Love until December due to a broken hand. They traded away their only other reliable scoring threats in Randy Foye and Mike Miller and turned their focus to the draft – landing point guard Jonny Flynn (and Spanish phenom Ricky Rubio who will remain in Spain). The Timberwolves also added point guard Ramon Sessions through free agency, and have flirted with the idea of running Flynn and Sessions in tandem. All of this together should land the Timberwolves at the bottom of the Northwest Division (and possibly the whole league). They don’t match up to most of the league in terms of talent, so they will likely have to work for moral victories and use this year to build for the future.
Where do you think the Blazers will finish within the Northwest Division this year?
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