gpikeA look at the NBA's toughest division
January 14th 2012 01:32
As we are just over two weeks into the NBA season, one division has emerged to be the best. Which division? The answer may surprise you. It is none other then the Northwest Division.
Oklahoma City at 10-2 is tied with Chicago for the best record in the league. The usual suspects are heading this Thunder team, including Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The addition of Kendrick Perkins has helped with the toughness of the team in the middle. Serge Ibaka has continued to be one of the leagues top defenders with his shot-blocking abilities. James Harden is averaging 16 points off the bench, and is an early front-runner for 6th man of the year.
Next up is Portland. The Blazers are 7-3 on the season and entering a tough six-game road trip with the first game about to tip off in San Antonio. Portland just suffered their first home loss of the season to Orlando on Wednesday by three. Portland has improved this season thanks to a new approach to playing the game. Instead of waiting for the offense to happen around Brandon Roy, the team is now looking to make things happen. Led by LaMarcus Aldridge and Gerald Wallace the Blazers have proven to be a fun team to watch. Newly signed Jamal Crawford and fellow guard Raymond Felton have been huge for the team so far.
Two more teams with winning records in the division. Utah has a record of 6-4 and Denver comes in at 7-4 so far this year. Utah has been a bit of a surprise. I for one didn't expect much out of the Jazz this season. The team is led by Al Jefferson who averages 18 points and nine rebounds per game. Paul Milsap continues to be a great player, averaging 15 points. Josh Howard has been a revelation for the team, scoring 11 points off the bench. Then there's Denver. The Nuggets score lots of points. They are tied for second in the league, averaging 104 points per game. Danilo Gallanari leads the team in scoring, averaging 17 points per game. Ty Lawson is right behind, averaging 16 points per game. Andre Miller leads the team in assists off the bench, getting nearly seven per game. Rookie Kenneth Faried is averaging three blocks per game.
And finally we have Minnesota. In any other division, the Timberwolves could be around the top. They have talent all over the roster, yet with a 3-7 record have failed to put it all together. When they do look out. Kevin Love is leading the team in points with 24 per game, and rebounds averaging 15 per contest. New backup point guard Rickey Rubio is having an outstanding season so far, averaging ten points, eight rebounds and two steals per game this year. Injuries have hurt the team as forward Michael Beasley and point guard Juan Barea missed a couple of games so far. Though once everyone is healthy and this team is hitting on all squares they have a chance to surprise. New head coach Rick Adelman has Minnesota pointed in the right direction.
Oklahoma City at 10-2 is tied with Chicago for the best record in the league. The usual suspects are heading this Thunder team, including Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The addition of Kendrick Perkins has helped with the toughness of the team in the middle. Serge Ibaka has continued to be one of the leagues top defenders with his shot-blocking abilities. James Harden is averaging 16 points off the bench, and is an early front-runner for 6th man of the year.
Next up is Portland. The Blazers are 7-3 on the season and entering a tough six-game road trip with the first game about to tip off in San Antonio. Portland just suffered their first home loss of the season to Orlando on Wednesday by three. Portland has improved this season thanks to a new approach to playing the game. Instead of waiting for the offense to happen around Brandon Roy, the team is now looking to make things happen. Led by LaMarcus Aldridge and Gerald Wallace the Blazers have proven to be a fun team to watch. Newly signed Jamal Crawford and fellow guard Raymond Felton have been huge for the team so far.
Two more teams with winning records in the division. Utah has a record of 6-4 and Denver comes in at 7-4 so far this year. Utah has been a bit of a surprise. I for one didn't expect much out of the Jazz this season. The team is led by Al Jefferson who averages 18 points and nine rebounds per game. Paul Milsap continues to be a great player, averaging 15 points. Josh Howard has been a revelation for the team, scoring 11 points off the bench. Then there's Denver. The Nuggets score lots of points. They are tied for second in the league, averaging 104 points per game. Danilo Gallanari leads the team in scoring, averaging 17 points per game. Ty Lawson is right behind, averaging 16 points per game. Andre Miller leads the team in assists off the bench, getting nearly seven per game. Rookie Kenneth Faried is averaging three blocks per game.
And finally we have Minnesota. In any other division, the Timberwolves could be around the top. They have talent all over the roster, yet with a 3-7 record have failed to put it all together. When they do look out. Kevin Love is leading the team in points with 24 per game, and rebounds averaging 15 per contest. New backup point guard Rickey Rubio is having an outstanding season so far, averaging ten points, eight rebounds and two steals per game this year. Injuries have hurt the team as forward Michael Beasley and point guard Juan Barea missed a couple of games so far. Though once everyone is healthy and this team is hitting on all squares they have a chance to surprise. New head coach Rick Adelman has Minnesota pointed in the right direction.
Al Jefferson leads a surprising Utah team
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