NBA 2009-10 Season Preview:

Northwest Division

Team: Denver Nuggets

Last year’s Record: 54-28

Offensive Rating (last year): 110.4 (7^th)

Defensive Rating (last year): 106.8 (8^th)

Key Acquisitions: Arron Afflalo, Ty Lawson

Key Losses: Dahntay Jones, Linas Kleiza

Projected Lineup:

Position	Starter	Bench
PG	Chauncey Billups	Ty Lawson
SG	JR Smith	Arron Afflalo
SF	Carmelo Anthony	Renaldo Balkman
PF	Kenyon Martin	Malik Allen
C	Nene Hilario	Chris Andersen

Season Outlook: The Denver Nuggets had a franchise season last year, tying a franchise high with 54 wins and capturing the number two seed in the western conference. The Nuggets continued their magical run into the playoffs, making the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 24 years, losing to the eventual champion Lakers.

The Nuggets did not do a lot in the free agency race during the summer, feeling that their nucleus of players is good enough to contend for a championship. They resigned Chris “The Birdman” Anderson, a fan favorite, and veteran point guard Anthony Carter (who will backup Billups and Lawson). The Nuggets did lose two contributors from last year’s team (Linas Kleiza and Dahntay Jones), but they did not go un-replaced. The Nuggets drafted Ty Lawson (who figures to take over for Billups a few years down the road) and traded for Pistons guard Arron Afflalo, a defensive standout that will replace Dahntay Jones’ role on the team. The Nuggets then traded Walter Sharpe (included in the Afflalo trade) and traded him for 6’10” Malik Allen to bolster their front court.

The Nuggets biggest strength is their starting 5, which can match up with any team offensively and defensively. The question is their bench… can guys like Allen and Afflalo be big contributors off the bench? Can Chris Anderson duplicate the type of season he had last year?

If all of the above happens, this team will be challenging for a spot in the Western Conference Finals.

2009-10 Prediction: 56-26 (1^st in Northwest, 3^rd in West)

Team: Portland Trail Blazers

Last year’s Record: 54-28 (2^nd in Northwest, 4^th in West)

Offensive Rating (last year): 113.9 (1^st)

Defensive Rating (last year): 107.8 (13^th)

Key Acquisitions: Andre Miller

Key Losses: N/A

Projected Lineup:

Position	Starter	Bench
PG	Andre Miller	Steve Blake
SG	Brandon Roy	Rudy Fernandez
SF	Nick Batum	Travis Outlaw
PF	LaMarcus Aldridge	Jeff Pendergraph
C	Greg Oden	Joel Przybilla

Season Outlook: The Portland Trail Blazers made a huge leap in their development last season, winning 54 games and tying for the division lead (losing the tiebreaker).

The Blazers were involved in talks with Hedo Turkoglu (a sign and trade) and Paul Millsap, but landed neither. Kevin Pritchard was persistent though, signing free agent point guard Andre Miller to a three year contract. I like this signing a lot; the one thing that Portland has lacked in recent years was a good point guard to distribute the ball to Portland’s scorers. Miller’s stats, I believe, were actually hurt playing in Philly, where they lacked outside shooting to space the floor and were really a one dimensional team in the half court. He should also take some of the burden off of star Brandon Roy, leaving him fresher to close out games.

The Blazers did not add a ton to their team, but they don’t feel like they need to. They are banking on the improvement of Greg Oden, who has been a massive disappointment so far. I think he will improve, but can he stay healthy? That remains to be seen.

Look for Portland to win a similar amount of games as they did last season, but they will make progress in the playoffs, winning their first series.

2009-10 Prediction: 54-28 (2^nd in Northwest, 4^th in West)

Team: Utah Jazz

Last year’s Record: 48-34 (3^rd in Northwest, 8^th in West)

Offensive Rating (last year): 110.1 (8^th)

Defensive Rating (last year): 107.3 (10^th)

Key Acquisitions: Eric Maynor

Key Losses: N/A

Projected Lineup:

Position	Starter	Bench
PG	Deron Williams	Eric Maynor
SG	Ronnie Brewer	Kyle Korver
SF	Andrei Kirilenko	C.J. Miles
PF	Carlos Boozer	Paul Millsap
C	Mehmet Okur	Kosta Koufos

Season Outlook: The Utah Jazz took a step back last year, failing to win 50 games for the first time in 3 years and losing quickly in 5 games to the Lakers in the first round. A lot of their struggles can be attributed to injuries, however, as their 5 starters missed a combined 80 games.

The Jazz, while not bringing in any new players, did have a busy offseason in regards to keeping Boozer (who decided not to opt out of the last year of his contract) and resigning Paul Millsap, who filled in admirably for Boozer last year. Carlos Boozer should put up monster numbers this year, as he’ll be looking for a big payday next summer.

IF this team can stay healthy, they are legitimate threat to anyone in the conference outside of LA and San Antonio. They have one of the two best point guards in the league (Williams), solid play at the small forward position (Kirilenko, C.J. Miles) and their front court is deep (Boozer, Okur, Millsap). They still lack size up front, but they are one of the best (if not the best) scoring front courts in the NBA. The only thing the Jazz are really missing is a star shooting guard to pair up with Deron Williams. They could get that at the trade deadline, but for now, I have them winning around 50 games. In the east, that’d get them a top 4 seed… but out west, that gets you a date with LA or SA and a quick playoff exit.

2009-10 Prediction: 50-32 (3^rd in Northwest, 7^th in West)

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves

Last year’s Record: 24-58 (4^th in Northwest, 12^th in West)

Offensive Rating (last year): 106.1 (24^th)

Defensive Rating (last year): 111.4 (25^th)

Key Acquisitions: Johnny Flynn, Wayne Ellington

Key Losses: Mike Miller

Projected Lineup:

Position	Starter	Bench
PG	Johnny Flynn	Chucky Atkins
SG	Damien Wilkins	Wayne Ellington
SF	Ryan Gomes	Corey Brewer
PF	Kevin Love	Darius Songaila
C	Al Jefferson	Mark Blount

Season Outlook: The Timberwolves had a 2009 season not unlike many others in the franchise’s dreadful history, winning only 24 games, again finishing near the bottom of the western conference. Bottoming out wasn’t all bad, though, as it allowed the Timberwolves to snatch up two top 10 picks to fill their need at point guard. They drafted Johnny Flynn out of Syracuse as well as Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio. Forget about Rubio (he won’t play in the NBA for at least two more years)… Flynn is the franchise’s point guard of the future.

The Timberwolves won’t win many games this year, but they’ve got a decent nucleus of young talent (Flynn, Love, Jefferson) and they’ve got some contracts coming off the books that will free up a lot of cap space. Don’t expect a huge increase in wins this year (if at all) but their appears to be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel for this dormant franchise.

2009-10 Prediction: 23-59 (5^th in Northwest, 14^th in West)

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

Last year’s Record: 23-59 (5^th in Northwest, 13^th in West)

Offensive Rating (last year): 102.9 (29^th)

Defensive Rating (last year): 109.4 (20^th)

Key Acquisitions: James Harden, Kevin Ollie, B.J .Mullens, Etan Thomas

Key Losses: Desmond Mason, Damien Wilkens

Projected Lineup:

Position	Starter	Bench
PG	Russell Westbrook	Shaun Livingston
SG	James Harden	Kevin Ollie
SF	Kevin Durant	Thabo Sefolosha
PF	Jeff Green	Nick Collison
C	Nenad Krstic	Etan Thomas

Season Outlook: The Thunder had a less than memorable inaugural season in Oklahoma City, winning only 23 games. OKC has built their team around the young nucleus of Durant, Green and Westbrook. Durant has emerged as a bonafide scoring machine that can score efficiently (shot 48% from the field, 42% from 3 and 86% at the line). Ranking 5^th in scoring last year (25 ppg) in just his second season, Durant will be a threat for the scoring crown for many years to come. But can he develop the other parts of his game (passing, defense) that are lacking right now. It’ll be interesting to watch, because he is THE future of this franchise.

It isn’t just a one man show in Oklahoma City, however, as Durant has a good back court mate (Westbrook) and scorer up front (Jeff Green). If the Thunder can get the kind of production from Nenad Krstic that he displayed in 2006-early 2007, they may challenge the .500 mark. That’s a big if, however, as Krstic has missed a combined 129 games to injury the past 3 years.

Oklahoma City will be a team that can score with the best of them. They could be a lethal offensive team. But defense will be their undoing… and until they get the kind of mindset that defense is what ultimately wins championships, I don’t see them getting to the playoffs. They aren’t that far away though.

2009-10 Prediction: 33-49 (4^th in Northwest, 11^th in West)