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NBA Season Preview Panel: Northwest Division Preview

By Michael Dunlap

Feb 11, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) smiles after being called for a technical foul during the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2014; Portland, OR, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) smiles after being called for a technical foul during the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Welcome to the official HoopsHabit NBA season preview panel, where 32 of our writers got together to put their proverbial pens to paper, voting on the winners in each division, the conference winners, the NBA champs and each of the six major individual awards. We’ll be rolling out a new column each day throughout October to show the results of our voting and how we see the 2014-15 NBA season shaking out.

Today’s column focuses on the Northwest Division. The Oklahoma City Thunder have dominated this division, winning four consecutive division titles. With a healthy Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, there’s no reason to believe we’re going to get any other result. Sure, the Thunder need to work on their bench depth if they expect to win the championship, but barring any health issues, the Thunder are certainly the favorites.

Quietly, the Portland Trail Blazers made one of the largest turnarounds in the league, winning 21 more games in 2013-14 than they did in 2012-13. We’re not going to see another massive jump like that, but Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge and company have a moxie that’s nearly unmatched in the NBA. If they can get something out of Chris Kaman and Steve Blake, they’ll have a shot at the division.

It was only two seasons back when the Denver Nuggets won 57 games and looked like they could be a powerhouse for years to come. Then last season, they had their 10 season streak of playoff appearances snapped due to a laundry list of injuries. Now that Danilo Gallinari, Ty Lawson, Kenneth Faried and JaVale McGee look to be healthy, we can’t count the Nuggets out (at least for a playoff spot).

Without Kevin Love, the Minnesota Timberwolves are going to have a period of adjustment. They may be a better team in the long term, as they brought in a potential superstar in Andrew Wiggins, an upside guy in Anthony Bennett and a solid NBA pro in Thaddeus Young. Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic hold the key and if they perform at their best, the Wolves will be better than most think.

The most optimistic Utah Jazz fans can’t see the playoffs in the cards for this season. They’ve got some solid young talent in Trey Burke, Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward, but they feel too much like a bunch of spare parts that don’t quite fit together — or maybe it’s just the coach doesn’t know how to use them. In any event, they won’t be a factor in the division for a few seasons.

Our official winner, based on 32 votes:

31. 149. Final. 1. 34

Chris Walton thinks the Thunder are going to run away with the division:

"With the trio of Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, and Kevin Durant all healthy and rejuvenated, the Oklahoma City Thunder will be phenomenally talented this season. OKC has also added some much needed shooting with Anthony Morrow, depth at point guard with Sebastian Telfair, and size by drafting Michigan big man Mitch McGary. Reggie Jackson should continue to be one of the league’s up and coming reserves, providing Scott Brooks with different combinations in his rotations. With bigger minutes and improvement for their bench, mainly Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones, the Thunder will continue to dominate the Northwestern division."

Paul McGaughey went out on a limb and believes in the Trail Blazers:

"The Trail Blazers really impressed me last year. Although 54 wins was only enough to finish second in the division, they knocked off Houston in six games before falling to the Spurs in the conference semi-finals. Damian Lillard is a rising star and LaMarcus Aldridge is arguably the best power forward in the game. Factor in a supporting cast featuring the likes of Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum and free-agent acquisition Chris Kaman and I see a team with enough talent and depth to overtake the Thunder for top spot in the Northwest Division."