posted October 28, 2009 at 11:52 EST in NBA Articles
NBA Futures - Northwest Division Preview
by Charles Jay
NBA Basketball Futures Betting
A QUICK LOOK AT THE NORTHWEST DIVISION
The Denver Nuggets had a problem at this time last season - not enough basketballs. Both Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony needed the ball to be effective, which was not something that was going to work. When Denver pulled off the trade to send Iverson to Detroit for Chauncey Billups, that was both addition by addition and addition by subtraction. The Nuggets grab the lead in this division, but the Portland Trail Blazers, with a developing Greg Oden, may be the team with the most upside.
BetUS Sportsbook Odds to Win Northwest Division:
Denver Nuggets Even
Portland Trailblazers +175
Utah Jazz +275
Oklahoma City Thunder +5000
Minnesota Timberwolves +8000
DENVER NUGGETS (Even Money) -- That trade of Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups was the best and most lopsided moves in a long time. A team that lacked on-court leadership received one of the best court generals in the league and the price for that player was the dead weight that was holding their team down.
This is a team that can play either on the inside or outside, although it must be said that the Nuggets could use some more inside offense (from Nene maybe?) to complement what Carmelo Anthony can do. I am not completely confident in their defense, and Kenyon Martin is not someone who can be counted on as a stalwart for a full season. J.R. Smith is inconsistent, though admittedly athletic and a potential stopper, and Chris Andersen does function well as a defender off the bench.
Speaking of bench, look for Ty Lawson to keep this offense moving at a swift pace when Billups is sitting. A lot of these players are good, but they are just not good enough to match up with the upper echelon in this conference (i.e. Lakers, Spurs) when it comes down to crunch time. Does any George Karl-coached team ever over-achieve in the playoffs?
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (+175) -- This is an ensemble. A lot of these guys fit somewhere and fit in well. The Blazers added Andre Miller as a guard who can distribute and score, but Miller is not a particularly dangerous outside shooter. Lamarcus Aldridge is somewhat under-appreciated. Look at the guys like Travis Outlaw, Martell Webster and Rudy Fernandez; the Blazers can really bring some people off the bench, and there isn't a whole lot of drop-off, which is their strength.
Still, this team probably isn't going anywhere unless Brandon Roy has a big season. Also, Greg Oden, drafted first overall a couple of years ago, has to stop the part of his career where he's living off his potential and start doing something. Right now his offensive game is worse than raw. You have to admit that there is quite a bit of upside here, but Portland still falls short of the Lakers and Spurs.
UTAH JAZZ (+275 at BetUS) -- It would be great, I suppose, if Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap could be on the floor at the same time, and I guess that will sometimes happen, although there is some benefit to having a skilled outside shooter like Mehmet Okur in the pivot. The pick-and-roll, which is a staple of Jerry Sloan's offensive approach, is still there, and Deron Williams, while no John Stockton, can make things work in the half-court sets.
Kyle Korver, whenever he comes back from his knee injury, needs to be more of a three-point threat; he's been under his career average for the last couple of seasons. One of the things about Utah is that when, say, Okur and Boozer are on the front line, they're going to have some problems playing defense against people who are very skilled offensively. That problem may be solved at some point before the trade deadline because Boozer could be on the move in this, the final year of his contract.
Jazz management raves about great his attitude has been, but if he's moved that's certainly a disruption in the chemistry of a franchise that has thrived on stability.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (+5000) -- This could have been the Oklahoma City "plunder" had PJ Carlesino remained as head coach, but the team played hard on most nights for the interim (now re-hired) coach Scott Brooks. This team is piecing together some good players, between Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook, and now James Harden. Durant is a dominant offensive presence, but he doesn't really dominate the ball, taking 20% of his team's shots over his first two seasons in the league. He'll make room for others.
Shaun Livingston is a wild card because of his injury history and incredible ability. This is a team in progress, and if they keep drafting high they'll get there eventually, but they don't have any "muscle scoring" and that's a problem.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (+8000) -- The T-Wolves are now strong at the point guard position, having drafted Jonny Flynn (the only one who is on the roster from three point guards they took in the first round) and signed Ramon Sessions (formerly of Milwaukee) as a free agent. Kevin Love, an industrious rebounder and passer who is limited offensively, will be out up to two months with a broken hand. Slimmed-down Al Jefferson is a genuine workhorse in the paint, and the Wolves hope that he won't be hampered too badly by his Achilles tendinitis. This team, which was very late in naming a coach (Kurt Rambis finally got the nod) lacks depth and defense. As far as the latter is concerned, a healthy Corey Brewer, who missed almost all of last season with a torn ACL, would be a huge help.
