The Oklahoma City Thunder will certainly be the biggest competition the Lakers will face in the conference and the young nucleus will be looking to make it back to the NBA Finals. The Thunder are a very talented team and it will not be a shocker if they end up back on the league’s biggest stage. With a deep playoff run already under their belt, the Thunder will be anxious to get over the hump this season.
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The Minnesota Timberwolves are also another exciting team in the division and they will make a major push for the postseason. Although they are facing injury problems right now, the Wolves have a very talented roster full of young, exciting players.
The Denver Nuggets also made some nice additions during the off-season, highlighted by Andre Iguodala. The Nuggets pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Sixers as part of the Dwight Howard deal and they got themselves a great leader on the court. Denver was already a very explosive team, but they became even more dangerous thanks to Iguodala.
Last season, the Utah Jazz surprised many by earning the eighth seed in the Western Conference. Not many people had the Jazz making the postseason, but the fairly inexperienced squad made their way into the top 16. Although the Jazz were swept in the first round, the franchise is hoping to build on their success.
The Portland Trail Blazers will be a fun team to watch this upcoming season, but in such a tough conference, there is a good chance they miss the postseason. LaMarcus Aldridge is one of the best power forwards in the league but he does not have a lot of talent around him. There is only so much one player can do for a team, and a miracle is needed for the Blazers to make a deep playoff run.
According to the NBA general managers survey, 86.7 percent of the voters said the Oklahoma City Thunder will win the division crown, a number that probably should be higher.
Division Standings Predictions
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (55-27)
2. Denver Nuggets (48-34)
3. Minnesota Timberwolves (44-38)
4. Utah Jazz (41-41)
5. Portland Trail Blazers (35-47)
Next Page: Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder made a major change to their roster just days before the season started, changing the landscape in the division and conference. The nucleus of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden is no longer intact as Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets in a deal that included Kevin Martin.
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Those three stars competed in the Olympics together this summer and they got the sense of what it takes to win the ultimate prize. The Thunder fell to the Miami Heat in five games during the NBA Finals, and the pain that the stars felt when they lost will fuel them this upcoming season. However, with one of their main stars no longer on the team, it will take Durant and Westbrook some time to get adjusted to their new teammates.
Durant will likely be the leading candidate for MVP this upcoming season and he is doing more to be an elite defender. There are questions for him to answer on the offensive end, but if he can become more reliable on defense, Durant will make his case as the best player in the NBA even stronger.
Not many teams can match the Thunders’ explosiveness and the Lakers will have a tough time if they end up facing them in the postseason.
Key Players: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook
Key Additions: Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb
Key Losses: James Harden
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFza48SkTT0
Next Page: Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have also been a solid Western Conference team and George Karl always seems to get them into the postseason. Just like the Thunder, the Nuggets have a roster full of young, explosive players. Ty Lawson and JaVale McGee are the two main contributors from last season and the addition of Andre Iguodala will make this team even better.
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In addition to those three players, the Nuggets have a plethora of talented athletes. From the deadly shooter Danilo Gallinari to the rebounding maestro Kenneth Faried, the Nuggets are poised for a successful season.
Coach Karl is one of the most respected figures in basketball, and if there is one player who knows how to get talent to mesh together, it’s Karl. The Nuggets have a very deep roster and their bench is one of the strongest in the NBA. The starters can surely carry the Nuggets during games, but the team does not lose a step when the reserves are on the court.
Key Players: Ty Lawson, JaVale McGee, Andre Iguodala
Key Additions: Andre Iguodala
Key Losses: Aaron Afflalo
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vLGRC_6Duk
Next Page: Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves did not make the postseason last year, but they surely excited all of their fans with their potential. This young team has an incredible upside and when healthy, this squad will be a force to be reckoned with in the future.
Last season, Ricky Rubio developed into one of the purest point guards in the league and he certainly exceeded everyone’s expectations. He formed a great bond with Kevin Love and Wolves fans were excited about their future together. However, the Wolves’ chances for making the postseason in 2011-12 completely died after Rubio suffered a season ending knee injury.
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The Wolves will be pretty depleted to start the season as both Rubio and Love will be sidelined. Rubio will miss the a majority of the season due to his ACL tear and Love is expected to be out at least one month with his hand injury.
However, with the additions of Brandon Roy and Andrei Kirilenko the Wolves may not be too devastated. At this point, there is no guarantee that Roy will be the same player as he was before the injury, but he did some positive signs in the preseason. Kirilenko is also a very capable player and the Wolves made a nice move getting him on the team. He may not be an All-Star caliber player, but he can do wonders for this fairly young team.
Key Players: Ricky Rubio, Kevin Love
Key Additions: Brandon Roy, Andrei Kirilenko
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKF26FRvFgg
Next Page: Utah Jazz
To the surprise of many people, the Utah Jazz managed to be a top eight team in the Western Conference last season. Just like many of the teams in the conference, the Jazz are led by a young nucleus, highlighted by several explosive guards.
During the off-season the Jazz added some veteran pieces to fit along with the young players to create a nice blend of talent. Utah has collected an impressive group of high draft picks that have the potential to make a big impact on the team. Players like Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors may have not lived up to the hype yet, but they are making major strides towards fixing their games.
Even though the Northwest Division got much tougher, the Jazz have the pieces to make it to the postseason once again.
Key Players: Al Jefferson, Derrick Favors
Key Additions: Marvin Williams, Randy Foye
Key Losses: Devin Harris
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypFBLIk_1Bc
Next Page: Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers have always been a tough opponent for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Rose Garden is one of the best venues in all of basketball. The Blazers are constantly fighting for playoff seeding, but this season may see an end to that battle.
The Blazers do not have a very strong team and they are beginning to lose their usual toughness. LaMarcus Aldridge is really the only star player on the team, but he cannot carry the burden of winning on his shoulders every night. Aldridge is a very capable player, but there is no way he is at a level to carry a franchise.
Portland will have a possible Rookie of the Year candidate in Damian Lillard to look forward to, and there will be times in the season when he will guide this team to victory. The upside on this young guard is impressive, but it is not enough to lead the Blazers to the playoffs.
Key Players: LaMarcus Aldridge
Key Additions: Damian Lillard
Key Losses: Raymond Felton, Jamal Crawford
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrnqOCFXiCQ