Oct 3, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum (3) passes the ball against Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) as Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) and Rudy Gobert (27) close in during the first quarter at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
After over a month of NBA action, here’s a look at how the Utah Jazz and their rivals in the Northwest Division stack up against one another.
Over a month has passed since we began the NBA season and while there’s still a lot of question marks about which teams will be the cream of the crop and which will slide out of playoff contention, enough games have been played that the picture is slowly starting to get a little clearer.
However, the Northwest Division remains one that is much too close to call. While the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets have fallen behind to sub-.500 records, the top three teams in the division, the Thunder, Jazz and Blazers, all have a .500 record or better and are all within two games of one another.
Each of the three have had similar starts to the season as they’ve all had bright moments and big wins that have made them look solid, but they’ve also faced a number of struggles whether it be due to injuries (the Jazz), a lack of cohesion and consistency (the Blazers) or having to rely too much one guy (the Russells…I mean, Thunder).
So if anything, the prediction of which team will end up winning the division has only gotten harder. The Thunder currently hold a narrow lead, but if Utah can get healthy and take advantage of a heavy home schedule over the upcoming weeks, they could find themselves in that top spot in the division sooner rather than later.
Nov 28, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) backs towards the basket as Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) plays defense in the second half at Target Center. The Jazz won 112-103. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Timberwolves
Current Record: 5-13
Standings: 5th in Division, 14th in Conference
Despite the high promise that Minnesota was supposed to bring into this 2016-17 season, it’s been mostly frustration for new head coach Tom Thibodeau and the young T-Wolves in their first 18 games.
This squad is undoubtedly stacked with potential, but as Utah Jazz fans know all too well, potential can take a long time to actually develop into a polished product. And while I’m sure Minnesota fans and even coach Thibodeau himself knew there would be some growing pains, I’m not sure anyone foresaw the T-Wolves struggling quite this much.
There are already several reports that the Wolves have plans to make a trade to bring in some veteran talent, but nothing has yet to come to fruition. Thibodeau has expressed frustration with his team’s lack of discipline and while Minnesota has looked good for stretches, they haven’t been able to string together very many complete games and have been awful in the second half.
Tom Thibodeau says the T-Wolves need to "take a look at everything". Should the Wolves consider trading one of their young stars? pic.twitter.com/sosyHfqgcY
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 29, 2016
But youth and lack of veteran talent isn’t all to blame. The Timberwolves also are faced with a severe lack of depth with one of the least effective benches in the league. When lead guys Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Zach LaVine aren’t on the floor, they have a hard time getting others to contribute.
Rebounding has also been a huge issue for this young Minnesota team as they come in third to last in the league in rebounds per game.
So while there’s still time in this season for the Timberwolves to right the ship, judging by the fact that they are currently the second worst team in the conference (ahead of only Dallas) and are already talking about blowing up their roster, it doesn’t seem likely that they’ll be able to crawl out of such a deep early hole, especially in such a tough conference.
Thus, it wouldn’t surprise me if Minnesota stays at the bottom of the division all season long.
Nov 23, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) passes the ball against Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) in the fourth quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Utah Jazz defeated the Denver Nuggets 108-83. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Denver Nuggets
Current Record: 7-11
Standings: 4th in Division, 10th in Conference
The Denver Nuggets have given a lot of teams trouble so far this season and if a few shots in a handful of games had gone a different way, they could very well find themselves with a .500 or better record.
Nevertheless, as this team fights to find an identity and build consistency as a group, there will undoubtedly be some bumps along the way. And while in a lot of ways they are similar to the Timberwolves, their veteran players such as Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried and Jameer Nelson have helped to provide them with a much-needed lift.
And while I don’t really expect the Nuggets to end up being a playoff team with several more talented teams currently ahead of them in the standings, they’re definitely within striking distance of cracking the top eight in the early goings of the season.
Sweet W ✔️#DENatUTA #takenote pic.twitter.com/zEzZDiTD6J
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) November 24, 2016
In order to do so, they’ll have to really button up on defense as they are currently 26th in the league in opponent points per game, giving up 108.7 points per contest. They’ve also struggled at home as they’ve gone 3-6 on the year.
Denver has historically been a very tough place to play especially with its high altitude, so if the Nuggets want to improve and get into the mix, they’ll definitely have to do a better job of defending their home court.
Nevertheless, I think Denver is still a few years removed from becoming a playoff contender in the West and especially considering the talent level of the three teams ahead of them in the division, I think it’s safe to say that they’ll stay in their fourth place slot throughout the year.
Oct 25, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) reacts after dunking against the Portland Trail Blazers in the second half at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
Portland Trail Blazers
Current Record: 10-10
Standings: 3rd in Division, 8th in Conference
The Portland Trail Blazers were a bit of a surprise last year as many had them pinned as an almost certain lottery team after losing LaMarcus Aldridge over the offseason, but instead they finished as the fifth seed in the West and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum proved that they could lead their team to success and hopes were high that the Blazers could build off last year’s achievements and improve even more this season.
While they still could very well find themselves back in the middle of that playoff pack, the Blazers have been struggling lately and haven’t looked quite like the force they were last year.
Having lost six of their last nine, the Blazers have fallen below the Jazz in the standings and find themselves barely in the current playoff mix. Portland’s biggest issue has been their defense. While they rank third in the league in scoring, they’re currently second to last in opponent points per game giving up a dismal 113.5 points per game.
cc: @ormark @kedward pic.twitter.com/5jRxFskwt2
— Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 1, 2016
Beyond that, Portland has seemingly had a hard time finding the cohesion that made such a difference for them last year. While Lillard is obviously an All-Star level player that shoulders a huge load for the Blazers, one of their strengths last season was their ability to mesh as a team and get everyone involved.
Lillard and McCollum continue to play well and Evan Turner is slowly but surely coming into his own on this team, but some of the other role players such as Al-Farouq Aminu and Meyers Leonard haven’t been quite as impactful as last season. Until Portland can get a consistent performance across their ten-man rotation, they may find themselves stuck in the third slot in the division.
However, I’m not ready to give up on this Portland team just yet. They’ve been one of the most resilient teams in the league over the past few seasons and, especially with a stellar coach such as Terry Stotts, could easily find themselves pushing past the Jazz and/or Thunder to snatch second or first place in the division.
Nov 30, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after a play against the Washington Wizards during overtime at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Oklahoma City Thunder
Current Record: 12-8
Standings: 1st in Division, 5th in Conference
If you think the Jazz have had a rough time dealing with injuries, imagine what life would be like for the Oklahoma City Thunder if Russell Westbrook were to go down. The man has been on a mission and has nearly single-handedly carried the Thunder to their solid 12-8 start.
Westbrook is currently averaging a triple-double with an incredible stat line of 31.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and 11.3 assists per contest. He averages almost 14 more points than the team’s second-leading scorer, Victor Oladipo, nearly three more rebounds than Steven Adams, the team’s starting center and is averaging more assists than the team’s entire starting lineup combined. Oladipo is the second-leading assist man on the roster at just three per game.
Nov 30, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after a play against the Washington Wizards during overtime at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
So needless to say, as Westbrook goes, so do the Thunder. Luckily for OKC, he has been exceptional, thus the solid 12-8 record. However, the team has also been far from consistent. They’ve put up big wins against the likes of the Clippers and Rockets but have also lost to mediocre teams such as the Magic and Kings.
Nevertheless, with a superstar and one-man wrecking crew like Russell Westbrook on their side, barring any injuries, it’s hard to see the Thunder falling out of the playoff mix. However, on the flip side of that, putting all your dependence on one guy is rarely a recipe for success, so although OKC holds the top spot in the division right now and very well could hold it throughout the year, I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Portland or Utah push their way past them.
Feb 9, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) and forward Trey Lyles (41) celebrate in front of Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) during the game at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Utah Jazz
Current Record: 11-9
Standings: 2nd in Division, 7th in Conference
The Utah Jazz looked like they were rolling and primed to tie up OKC in the standings and perhaps even steal their spot atop the division. Yet once again the injury bug reared it’s ugly head as both George Hill and Rodney Hood sat in Thursday’s game against the Miami Heat in which the Jazz fell in heartbreaking fashion 111-110.
As Utah continues to struggle to put their best players out on the floor, they’re having a hard time proving to the league just how good they are. Sure, I’m a homer, but I don’t find it any exaggeration to say that when Utah is at full-strength (which we haven’t technically seen this year) or at least close to it, they’re the best team in the division.
Yet, it’s one thing for me to say that and another for the team to come out and show it. While Utah has had some nice runs this season, they’ve battled inconsistency all season while they’ve tried to fend off the injury bug.
Hill and Gordon Hayward have been phenomenal when they’ve both been on the floor and are currently undefeated when both have played. Unfortunately, that has only occurred in five games.
We’re only 20 games into the season, so Utah still has plenty of time to make up ground and only trail the Thunder by one game. However, they need to get healthy soon so that they can show just how solid of a squad they are if they hope to keep pace with the likes of the Lillard-led Blazers and the Westbrook-led Thunder.
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There’s a lot of “what-ifs” involved here, but if Hill, Hood and Derrick Favors can be back and ready to go by the end of the month and stay healthy, I truly think this team will win the division. They’ve looked incredible in their wins and have been solid when their starting point guard has been in action.
However, if they’re unable to get into as good of a groove as they’re capable of as injuries continue to hold this team back, they could just as well drop behind the talented Blazers and Thunder for third in the division.
While the Northwest Division doesn’t boast any of the top-three teams in the conference, it’s no stretch to say that it is the most exciting division in the West due to how competitive and comparable the three best teams are and how closely they’ll be battling all season for playoff position.
All stats courtesy of NBA.com
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