Big 3 Sports Blog

The Northwest Division sent 4 teams to the Playoffs last season, tied for most in the NBA (Atlantic Division).  And it was a very competitive Division, with their top 4 teams were separated by only 5 games.  Looking at the rosters, I see a lot of the same this upcoming season.  Let’s have a look.

Oklahoma City Thunder
Well, the Big 3 of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and James Harden is officially over.  With Russell Westbrook being traded to Houston for Chris Paul, all remnants are gone.  Oh, and Paul George was traded away as well.  By the end of the year, I actually see this team being even more bare.  Hard to imagine veterans Paul and Danilo Gallinari being on the roster by mid January (even though Paul’s age and contract make him basically untradeable).  The Thunder are in clear rebuild mode, and their record will show it.  Tough to think they won’t finish in the cellar.

Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves finished in last place last season with just 36 wins, but were at .500 as late as January 24^th.  Despite a rough finish, the young team did show some promise.  Andrew Wiggins is solid, and Karl Anthony-Towns is one of the more dominant big men in the NBA.  Point guard Jeff Teague provides veteran leadership, but unfortunately once you get past those 3, this roster doesn’t have much to offer.  They will show signs of greatness throughout the season, but like last year, they will lack the consistency to stay in the Playoff hunt.

Portland Trailblazers
The Trailblazers advanced to the Western Conference Finals last season, the first time since 2000.  This is a veteran team, so they should be poised to make another run this season.  Led by star Damian Lillard and star-ish C.J. McCollum, and a nice collection of big men (Hassan Whiteside, Jusuf Nurkic, and Pao Gasol), this team has a great inside/outside mix.  I see them making another quality Playoff run.

Utah Jazz
The Jazz may be the most improved team in the Western Conference coming into this season.  They acquired Mike Conley from Memphis, and signed free agents Bojan Bogdanovic and Jeff Green.  Combine them with future MVP candidate Donovan Mitchell and defensive wiz Rudy Gobert, they may have one of the best starting lineups in the NBA.  It will be interesting to see how all these new players fit together.  Either way, they should be a lock for a Playoff spot.

Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets won the Division last season, and lost in a thrilling Western Conference Semifinal against the Blazers 4-3.  Clearly confident with their core, they made no changes to their starting lineup coming into 2019.  Led by star Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, they also have about the most balanced team in the NBA, with 8 players this coming season who averaged in double figures last season.  If this team stays healthy and continues to get better, they should be competing for a home Playoff series.  Prediction – Nikola Jokic will average a triple-double at least once in the next 5 years.  Write that down.

With all of the offseason additions, I really do like this Jazz team.  But it’s hard to pick against the team that won the Division last season, and brings back the same team.  In theory, they should be even better than last year.  Northwest Division Winner – Denver Nuggets.

Now, tell me what you think!!!

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