gpikeNBA Preview: Northwest Division
December 18th 2011 23:58
Today, I will begin looking at each divisions in the NBA, finishing on Dec. 24th, one day before the season kicks off.
Northwest Division: In predicted order of finish.
Oklahoma City: The Thunder need the offense to go through Kevin Durant in order to compete with Dallas and Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs. With Westbrook taking the majority of the shots in the playoffs, Oklahoma City didn't stand a chance against the Mavericks. Durant averaged nearly 29 points and nine boards per contest last season. Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins form a potent inside duo. Backup shooting guard James Harden could be a front-runner for sixth man of the year.
Portland: Now that Brandon Roy retired, this is LaMarcus Aldridge's team. Aldridge should of been an all-star last season, averaged 20 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game. Loosing Greg Oden to another setback hurts the depth at center. Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas will look to fill the spot, though both are around 40 years old. Adding Jamal Crawford to the mix helps out matters in a big way on the wing. Gerald Wallace at times last year was the best player on the court for Portland. The backup point guard spot to Raymond Felton is a big question mark. Rookie Nolan Smith and second-year player Armon Johnson are battling for the spot.
Denver: The Denver Nuggets will battle for a playoff spot this season, likely finishing around eighth in the west. Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallanari will keep this team afloat. Denver needs to resign Nene to keep the center position a strong suit on the team. Kenyon Martin, Wilson Chandler and JR Smith won't be back this season, as they are locked into deals in China.
Minnesota: Thinking the Timberwolves with numerous positive additions will stay out of the cellar this year, pushing Utah to last place. Adding Derrick Williams, Rickey Rubio, JJ Barea, and head coach Rick Adelman will make the Timberwolves an exciting team to watch this year. Kevin Love and Michael Beasley are the leaders on the team, each will average around a double-double.
Utah: The Jazz have some talented guys on the team. Al Jefferson, Devin Harris and Paul Milsap are all guys who can play. The Jazz drafted Enes Kanter out of Switzerland with the third pick in the NBA draft. If Kanter can find meaningful minutes on the court, then the Jazz could be a surprise team. Backup forward Derrick Favors is being counted upon to progress on the court.
Northwest Division: In predicted order of finish.
Oklahoma City: The Thunder need the offense to go through Kevin Durant in order to compete with Dallas and Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs. With Westbrook taking the majority of the shots in the playoffs, Oklahoma City didn't stand a chance against the Mavericks. Durant averaged nearly 29 points and nine boards per contest last season. Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins form a potent inside duo. Backup shooting guard James Harden could be a front-runner for sixth man of the year.
Portland: Now that Brandon Roy retired, this is LaMarcus Aldridge's team. Aldridge should of been an all-star last season, averaged 20 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game. Loosing Greg Oden to another setback hurts the depth at center. Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas will look to fill the spot, though both are around 40 years old. Adding Jamal Crawford to the mix helps out matters in a big way on the wing. Gerald Wallace at times last year was the best player on the court for Portland. The backup point guard spot to Raymond Felton is a big question mark. Rookie Nolan Smith and second-year player Armon Johnson are battling for the spot.
Denver: The Denver Nuggets will battle for a playoff spot this season, likely finishing around eighth in the west. Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallanari will keep this team afloat. Denver needs to resign Nene to keep the center position a strong suit on the team. Kenyon Martin, Wilson Chandler and JR Smith won't be back this season, as they are locked into deals in China.
Minnesota: Thinking the Timberwolves with numerous positive additions will stay out of the cellar this year, pushing Utah to last place. Adding Derrick Williams, Rickey Rubio, JJ Barea, and head coach Rick Adelman will make the Timberwolves an exciting team to watch this year. Kevin Love and Michael Beasley are the leaders on the team, each will average around a double-double.
Utah: The Jazz have some talented guys on the team. Al Jefferson, Devin Harris and Paul Milsap are all guys who can play. The Jazz drafted Enes Kanter out of Switzerland with the third pick in the NBA draft. If Kanter can find meaningful minutes on the court, then the Jazz could be a surprise team. Backup forward Derrick Favors is being counted upon to progress on the court.
Serge Ibaka is a big reason why the Thunder will win the Northwest division
| 20 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
