Northwest Division Preview

November 6, 2007
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1. Denver Nuggets

Denver can score and get up and down the floor and they're a very good transition team. Denver's only notable move in the offseason was the addition of veteran point guard Chucky Atkins.

The Nuggets have four-fifths of an elite team with Iverson, Anthony, Marcus Camby and Nene Hilario. They can play with anybody when their offensive game is on, though they are not as good in the halfcourt.

Denver was 42-14 when scoring 100 points or more and 3-23 when scoring 99 or less. The Nuggets averaged 105.4 points per game in 2006-07, their best mark since 1990-91.

2. Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz will very likely come close to matching last year's 51 wins, but that may not be good enough to win the division.

Jerry Sloan, the elder statesman among the NBA coaching fraternity, was very fortunate his Jazz stayed healthy last season. Carlos Boozer was an All-Star in 2006-07, but injuries got in his way the previous two seasons. Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur and Deron Williams are All-Star caliber.

Utah exceeded expectations last season, advancing to the Western Conference Finals and turning in its most successful season since 2003 when John Stockton retired and Karl Malone left for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Williams is one of the best young point guards in the league. However, Utah is scrambling to replace shooting guard Derek Fisher's 10.1 points, 27.9 minutes per game and locker-room leadership.

3. Seattle SuperSonics

Seattle will be looking to prove the theory that addition by subtraction can work in the NBA.

The Sonics won 31 games last year and has made the playoffs just once in the last five seasons. They won't end that cold streak under new Coach P.J. Carlesimo, but they will win more games and easily surpass the meager 24 1/2-point win total that's on the board at The Hilton. ,p> Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis combined to average 48.8 points per game last season. Allen was dealt to Boston on draft night and Lewis opted for big bucks in Orlando. Enter No. 2 overall draft choice Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, a small forward from Georgetown. The turnaround in Seattle starts with Durant, but Green could have a greater impact in his rookie year, chiefly because he's older and more experienced.

The Sonics don't have much star power but they are as deep as any team in the league. Carlesimo has always stressed defense, but he inherits a team that finished 27th in defensive efficiency. Look for Seattle to improve on last year's win total and grab third place in the division.

4. Portland Trailblazers

Portland was an NBA worst 53-111 over the past two seasons. The Blazers also went 20-62 as a visitor, matching Atlanta for the worst road record in that span. Yet despite the loss of top draft choice Greg Oden, the future for Portland is still bright.

The Blazers rated as a borderline playoff-team with the former Ohio State star in the lineup. Without Oden, they will be hard pressed to match last season's record and eclipse the 31 1/2-win forecast posted in Las Vegas.

Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy becomes the go-to-guy in Portland now that Zach Randolph has been shipped to New York.

The Blazers are going to struggle this season because of their youthfulness and will once again have trouble scoring points. Portland averaged 94.1 points per game last season, the worst in the West and second lowest in the league behind Atlanta (93.7). Coach Nate McMillan can only hope LaMarcus Aldridge and newly acquired Channing Frye can complement the superb shooting of Roy.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves

If the Wizards of Odds at the Hilton are correct, Minnesota will be the worst team in the NBA. The Wolves regular-season win total is set at 19 1/2 games. That's five games less than Seattle and 37 games less than top dog Dallas.

Year 1 of the post-Kevin Garnett era in Minnesota could get downright ugly, but they obviously don't have to be very good to win 20 games.

The Wolves were never able to surround Garnett with the proper pieces, so after winning just 32 games and missing out on the playoffs for the third straight season, they decided it was time for a change. The blockbuster swap with Boston brings big man Al Jefferson and two future first-round draft picks to the Twin Cities. Jefferson and a decent frontcourt make Minnesota a shade better than a truly awful team.

Coach Randy Wittman will have to rely on inexperienced Randy Foye and Corey Brewer, both top-10 choices in the past two drafts.