National Basketball Association

NBA: Previewing the Northwest Division

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Apr 6, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) and Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (11) go after a loose ball during the fourth quarter of the game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Blazers won the game 120-115. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

The wait is almost over. In less than six weeks, the NBA will be back in full swing and the summer-long boredom will be worth it. The Northwest Division is full of talent that will be exciting to watch.

Although most eyes will be looking at the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, there are still 28 other teams in the association. Among those, there is a handful who will provide loads of entertainment to their fan base.

The NBA’s Northwest Division is on the rise, and it’s no longer going to be ruled by Oklahoma City. In year’s past, the Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook tandem has dominated and led the Thunder to five division championships in the last six seasons. They finished second to Portland in 2014-15 because Durant was hurt.

But, by no means are the other four teams pushovers. The Utah Jazz are beginning to come together under head coach Quin Snyder and have improved their win total in each of the last three seasons. Potential All-Star Gordon Hayward is a huge piece of their puzzle, and Rudy Gobert‘s imposing presence on defense is a big reason why they ranked second in points per game allowed last season.

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The Portland Trail Blazers were the other team in the division to make the playoffs last season, but they took a step back regarding wins and losses. The roster was in shambles after LaMarcus Aldridge left for San Antonio, but Damian Lillard has solidified himself as a superstar, and C.J. McCollum is quickly improving.

On the outside looking in, you have the Denver Nuggets, who are stuck between rebuild and win now. Not much has happened with them since trading Carmelo Anthony and getting rid of George Karl as the head coach. Their roster is iffy at best, but the injuries to Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler certainly don’t help. However, in a division that now has more parity, anything can happen.

The team in this part of the NBA that is going to be the most entertaining is hands down the Minnesota Timberwolves. With a new head coach in Tom Thibodeau and many young, electrifying athletes on the court, the Wolves won’t need to wait much longer until their making serious noise up north.

Denver Nuggets

2015-16 Record: 33-49

Player(s) To Watch: Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic

Apr 8, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Will Barton (5) celebrates with teammates guard JaKarr Sampson (9) and guard Emmanuel Mudiay (0) after a play in the second quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets last season landed right between bad and mediocre, but they weren’t working with much. Their two best players, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, missed huge chunks of the season and left the team in the hands of a flock of young guys.

From that situation, however, coach Mike Malone saw flashes of great things from his inexperienced players, and Nikola Jokic, Will “The Thrill” Barton, and Gary Harris all looked impressive. Jokic, a tremendous rebounder for the Nuggets last season, will get more starts and see more action, leading to a rebounding contribution that Denver will be greatly needed. Jokic’s inside presence will complement Kenneth Faried, whose consistent relentlessness has resulted in him being an emotional leader despite being so young. Every night, coach Malone can expect the Manimal to go out and play with whole effort, something that will rub off on the younger guys.

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Then, of course, there’s Jamal Murray, a 6-foot-4 combo guard who made a name for himself by shooting out the lights across the country as a Kentucky freshman. Don’t be surprised if Murray is quickly looked at to be the first option. His do-it-all ability on offense is something that isn’t present on Denver’s current roster, and his knockdown shooting from three will hugely benefit a team who finished 26th in three-point percentage.

Also, look for Emmanuel Mudiay to bounce back from his dreadful rookie campaign. He has all the tools to Denver’s franchise point guard, but his offensive inability is holding him back. Once he polishes himself, he’ll be a very dynamic, entertaining piece for them.

This is Denver’s time to start rebuilding. No matter how wide open the division looks, it’ll be tough for them to make noise in the postseason. The front office needs to go all-in with the youth movement, and they’re already close as all of their best players are younger than 27.

Minnesota Timberwolves

2015-16 Record: 29-53

Player(s) to Watch: Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Karl Anthony-Towns, Kris Dunn

Mar 14, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine (8), center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and guard Andrew Wiggins (22) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the Timberwolves 107-104. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Golden State is going to be the only other team that’s more fun to watch than Minnesota. When you look at who they have on the perimeter, it’s incredible how much explosiveness is running downcourt at one time.

The centerpiece, however, is Karl Anthony-Towns. But the pieces around him help tremendously. With Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, Minnesota has two slashing guards who can play inside or spread the floor. Their ability to knock down from outside–LaVine, specifically–stretches the defense, and their exuberant athleticism makes it almost impossible for defenders to stay in front of them. Then there’s Shabazz Muhammad, who has really impressed over his last two seasons as a powerful finisher at the rim.

Drafting Providence guard Kris Dunn completed the youth puzzle. Now, the Timberwolves have a point guard who requires attention from opponents. Dunn’s blinding quickness serves him well, but his tough and gritty play on defense set him apart from the rest.

He has all-defensive team talent, and will be the perimeter anchor that Minnesota has lacked for a long, long time. While they aren’t in the position to challenge the better teams in this division, they’re a couple of years from it.

Oklahoma City Thunder

2015-16 Record: 55-27

Player(s) To Watch: Russell Westbrook, Steven Adams

May 10, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) celebrates a basket and a foul against the San Antonio Spurs after scoring in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

A not-so-bold narrative for next season: Russell Westbrook, hurt by the departure of his best friend, Kevin Durant, unleashes himself in the league and displays total domination night in and night out.

I’d bet on it. Even more with how Oklahoma City’s roster is constructed. With the pieces they have on their team, they won’t be able to waltz to a division title as the last few years. Instead, it’s going to be a cutthroat battle between the teams at the top. The difference is going to be Westbrook. Everything is in his favor for him to have one of the best statistical seasons ever, and, potentially, average a triple-double for the entire year.

Never forget: Westbrook averaged 31.3 points, 9.9 assists, and 8.7 rebounds over the final 27 games of the 2014-15 season when Durant was hurt.

OKC brought on Victor Oladipo in the Serge Ibaka trade as a complement to Russ. While he’s no Kevin Durant, defenses must pay attention to him. Furthermore, Adams and Enes Kanter are still there and will camp out in the paint to clean up the glass. They’ll be huge targets for dump up passes from Westbrook when he gets around the basket.

Portland Trail Blazers

2015-16 Record: 44-38

Player(s) To Watch: Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, Allen Crabbe

Apr 29, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) hugs guard CJ McCollum (3) after defeating the Los Angeles Clippers 106-103 in game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

When LaMarcus Aldridge left for San Antonio, Portland was in a bind. All they had was Damian Lillard, and the Blazers were expected to finish in the basement of the Western Conference. Things changed, and not only did Portland sneak into the playoffs, they saw C.J. McCollum transform into a legitimate NBA scoring threat.

Lillard was still the story of the team. In Herculean fashion, he was the catalyst for Portland, and the greatest All-Star snub of last season had his best year as a pro. With averages of 25.1 point and 6.8 assists per night, Lillard benefitted greatly from McCollum, who was thrust into the offense and transitioned with no hiccups. In just one year, two of the most slept-on guards turned into one of the NBA’s most dangerous backcourts.

Going forward, they added Evan Turner to go alongside their other role players. After all the strain that was put on McCollum and Lillard last season, Turner, along with Crabbe and Mason Plumlee, are expected to have bigger roles this upcoming year. This will help balance out the inevitable load that the Trail Blazers will place on Lillard and McCollum.

It’s no longer a one horse race, and Portland is in the best position to take the division from the Thunder next season.

Utah Jazz

2015-16 Record: 40-42

Player(s) To Watch: Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert, Rodney Hood

Apr 10, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) celebrates with guard Rodney Hood (5) after a play in the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Jazz defeated the Nuggets 100-84. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

When the conversation shifts to up-and-coming NBA teams, the Utah Jazz has to be in it. They were in the playoff race for almost the entirety of last season despite having a sub-.500 record. Quin Snyder’s team is remarkably young and already has a strong defensive presence that’s anchored by Defensive Player of the Year candidate Rudy Gobert.

To counteract the inexperience, Utah’s front office brought on Boris Diaw and Joe Johnson. Both players have seen a lot of things during their combined 28 seasons. The star of the team is still Gordon Hayward, who has improved every since coming into the league. Hayward is on the cusp of becoming an All-Star. Another young guy to watch his 6-foot-8 swingman Rodney Hood, who showed flashes of his outstanding potential throughout last season.

The Jazz’s time is coming, and all they need is their offense to come around. They were seventh in defensive efficiency last season without much experience, which is staggering. If they’re able to put the ball in the basket more this season, they’ll be able to challenge Portland and Oklahoma City for the division crown.

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