Why the Northwest Division will be Scary in the Next few Years

Mathew Huff

8/7/16

            The NBA consists of some very competitive divisions right now. However, one should not overlook the Northwest division. I know, right now a division that only consists of two playoff teams from last year does not look that impressive on paper, especially with Kevin Durant departing the Thunder. But if one looks closely at all the teams in the division, this division may be the best division in the league within the next couple of years. We all know the story about the Thunder already, their best player leaving which leaves them vulnerable and more than likely to lose their division crown. I simply can’t count out any team that still possesses a talent like Russell Westbrook who plays with a ferocity not seen in any other NBA player right now. The Thunder may not make it back to the Western Conference Finals, but they will still be competitive. Next, we have the Trail Blazers who shocked everyone last season by becoming one of the league’s best feel good stories. Everyone thought that LaMarcus Aldridge leaving for San Antonio would be the downfall of Portland last season, something that Damian Lillard used as motivation to fuel his team to the second round of the playoffs to many fans’ surprise. You combine that with C.J. McCollum emerging as a solid perimeter threat and winning Most Improved Player of the Year, and the Portland Trail Blazers still look like a team to keep an eye on considering their best players in Lillard and McCollum are still young. Of course, I can’t forget to discuss the Minnesota Timberwolves. With young stars like Karl Anthony-Towns and Andrew Wiggins, the Timberwolves are becoming the favorite to take over the league within the next five years. With Wiggins and Anthony-Towns’ potential it’s easy to see why many people are jumping on their bandwagon now. Let’s not forget Zach Lavine, the two time reigning Dunk Contest champion, is one of the most athletic players in the league and if he continues to grow and develop, he could form a formidable big three with the other two young stars. Third of all, I know I may get called out for covering my favorite team, but I’m telling you right now not to sleep on the Denver Nuggets. No, their youth is not as glamorous as Minnesota’s, they don’t have a go to star like the Thunder, or a great shooting back-court like Portland (as of yet anyway), but they do have potential. Nikola Jokic looks like the steal of last year’s draft, and with Emmanuel Mudiay developing his game, and Gary Harris hounding opposing players with his defense, this team could shock some fans. Jusuf Nurkic can also bully some of the best big men in the league when he is healthy, and if coach Mike Malone decides to start him along with Jokic down low, then suddenly the league may see glimpses of the past old school, get it down low and bang, gritty basketball, a style that has been forgotten with small ball taking the league over (you can thank Golden State for that). People often forget that Jokic actually finished ahead of Mudiay in Rookie of the Year votes and the Nuggets were one of the few teams to actually beat the Warriors in the regular season last year.  Finally, Utah was one Kobe Bryant sixty point farewell game away from sneaking into the playoffs last year. This Utah Jazz team is stacked with assets and if they can stay healthy, they can give teams fits. Gordon Hayward is one of the most overlooked players and Utah is like Denver where they can use their elevation to their advantage to tire opposing teams out and utilize their young talent on the fast break. Although this team doesn’t have any household names yet, they will have a legitimate shot to get into the playoffs as the eighth and seventh seed this coming season. While I understand there are still talented teams in the other divisions in the NBA, the Northwest Division seems to have the most potential to make some noise in the next few years. To be honest, I will not be surprised if three or four years from now every team or at least all but one of these teams are in the Western Conference playoffs, which is something I can’t say about any other division in the league.