NORTHWEST DIVISION
1-DENVER NUGGETS (Billups, J. Smith, Anthony, Martin, Nene): The Nuggets gave the Lakers a good fight in the Western Conference Finals. Pretty much everyone is back in the fold and they added Ty Lawson. They'll get a full season with Billups which will help a lot. This team will be there in the end and success will be achieved by getting to the Finals.
2-PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (Miller, Roy, Fernandez, Aldridge, Oden): This young talented team got a taste of the postseason last year. Now comes the next step where they do some damage once they get there. It will be interesting to see how Andre Miller fits in with Portland. Roy is a star and Aldridge is and up-and-comer. A key will be if Oden can improve from his rookie season.
3-UTAH JAZZ (D. Williams, Brewer Kirilenko, Boozer, Okur): This is a team I can't figure out. Going into last season, people thought that they could give the Lakers a run for their money in the West. Instead they finished 8th in the conference and quickly dismissed by Los Angeles. That team is pretty much intact, though Carlos Boozer may be moved at any time. The issue is the attitude of this team.
4-OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (Westbrook, Harden, Durant, Green, Krstic): This is a very young lineup but they are also very good. Harden gives them a tough-minded swingman that should allow Durant easier shots. The bench is very thin so the luck of this team will come from how high the young crew can lift them.
5-MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (Flynn, Sessions, Pavlovic, Jefferson, Love): Jefferson is awesome and Love is a nice role guy. They did a good thing bringing in Sessions. But this is a franchise that is building for the far future than they are for now. Ricky Rubio is still in Spain and the bench is filled with journeymen and guys I thought were out of the league. They'll fight the Kings for the worst record in the league.
2-PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (Miller, Roy, Fernandez, Aldridge, Oden): This young talented team got a taste of the postseason last year. Now comes the next step where they do some damage once they get there. It will be interesting to see how Andre Miller fits in with Portland. Roy is a star and Aldridge is and up-and-comer. A key will be if Oden can improve from his rookie season.
3-UTAH JAZZ (D. Williams, Brewer Kirilenko, Boozer, Okur): This is a team I can't figure out. Going into last season, people thought that they could give the Lakers a run for their money in the West. Instead they finished 8th in the conference and quickly dismissed by Los Angeles. That team is pretty much intact, though Carlos Boozer may be moved at any time. The issue is the attitude of this team.
4-OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (Westbrook, Harden, Durant, Green, Krstic): This is a very young lineup but they are also very good. Harden gives them a tough-minded swingman that should allow Durant easier shots. The bench is very thin so the luck of this team will come from how high the young crew can lift them.
5-MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (Flynn, Sessions, Pavlovic, Jefferson, Love): Jefferson is awesome and Love is a nice role guy. They did a good thing bringing in Sessions. But this is a franchise that is building for the far future than they are for now. Ricky Rubio is still in Spain and the bench is filled with journeymen and guys I thought were out of the league. They'll fight the Kings for the worst record in the league.
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