The NBA is back, and Sportsnet is breaking down everything you need to know about each of the 30 teams in the lead-up to tipoff on Tues., Dec. 22.
Today, we look at best- and worst-case scenarios for the Western Conference’s Northwest Division. (Teams are listed in the order in which we believe they’ll finish in the 2020–21 standings.)
Denver Nuggets
2019–20 finish: 46-27, second in the Northwest, lost in Western Conference Finals.
Major additions: JaMychal Green, Zeke Nnaji (R), R.J. Hampton (R).
Major subtractions: Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee, Torrey Craig, Troy Daniels.
Best-case scenario: Dare we say a better finish than last year, when they went to six games against the eventual-champion Lakers? Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee are gone, but otherwise this team is basically running it back, only with the expectation of greater output from Michael Porter Jr., who, despite all the time missed to injury and the amount of NBA seasoning he’s gotten to this point, is actually three months younger than Knicks rookie Obi Toppin. But we’re also burying the lede: Their dynamic duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray proved in the bubble they are talented and versatile enough that they can play with anyone. This is a team with a bright future and a bright present.
Worst-case scenario: Even while acknowledging how tough the West is, it would still be a shock if this team wound up any lower than the sixth seed. They are well coached and well balanced, with a mix of young players and vets. Barring injury (a caveat universal to every one of these write-ups), they’ll compete.
2020–21 season prediction: 47-25, second in the West.
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Utah Jazz
2019–20 finish: 44-28, third in the Northwest, lost in first round.
Major additions: Derrick Favors, Shaquille Harrison, Udoka Azubuike (R).
Major subtractions: Emmanuel Mudiay, Ed Davis, Tony Bradley.
Best-case scenario: Is there a more boringly competent division in the NBA than the Northwest? Because you can basically take the write-up for the Nuggets, bump up the defensive expectations while lowering the offensive ones, and voila: you’ve got a Jazz write-up. The one difference here is a slightly lower ceiling. We know exactly what the Jazz are, and we’ve been helped in that regard by them basically not doing anything in the off-season. Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell are a fearsome pairing in their own right, and they have a good, solid supporting cast. Their ceiling is middle-of-the-West playoff picture.
Worst-case scenario: Middle-of-the-West playoff picture. Not unlike the Nuggets, they’re better than the play-in game, and if I were a betting person (I’m not), I’d put money on it.
2020–21 season prediction: 42-30, fifth in the West.
Portland Trail Blazers
2019–20 finish: 35-39, fourth in the Northwest, lost in first round.
Major additions: Robert Covington, Harry Giles, Derrick Jones Jr., Enes Kanter.
Major subtractions: Hassan Whiteside, Trevor Ariza, Mario Hezonja, Caleb Swanigan.
Best-case scenario: Ah, now we’re talking. A team with some variance to it! In 2018–19, the Blazers finished third in the West on their way to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the Warriors. Last year, they suffered injuries and barely made it into the playoffs. But the team with Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and now Jusuf Nurkic at the heart of it is more likely to achieve a 2018–19 level of success than see a repeat of last year’s win percentage. They’ve even replaced some of the wing defence lost from that 2018–19 team by adding Robert Covington, who slots in perfectly. If all breaks right, the ceiling for this team is super high — like Finals high.
Worst-case scenario: Of course, they have to prove it, and any slip, especially in this division, will hurt. There are new parts to integrate, which can take time (not a great thing in a shortened season with a truncated training camp and pre-season). Plus, a team with this same core didn’t provide much resistance to the eventual champion Lakers in the playoffs last season. If the defence doesn’t materialize, it’s possible — just possible — they end up in the play-in tournament. At least they have experience with play-ins from last year, when they beat the Grizzlies to get in.
2020–21 season prediction: 41-31, sixth in the West.
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Minnesota Timberwolves
2019–20 finish: 19-45, fifth in the Northwest, missed playoffs.
Major additions: Ricky Rubio, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Anthony Edwards (R), Ed Davis, Jaden McDaniels (R).
Major subtractions: Evan Turner, James Johnson, Omari Spellman.
Best-case scenario: The play-in tournament. Karl-Anthony Towns is great, DeAngelo Russell has helped a fantasy team or two in his time and Ricky Rubio’s back in Minnesota, and his veteran presence can only be a good thing. They’ll very likely be a good offensive team, and their off-season strategy of getting former Raptor forwards is just crazy enough to work. If all breaks right, a ninth or 10th seed wouldn’t shatter the fabric of reality or anything.
Worst-case scenario: An eleventh seed, which is basically the story of the franchise.
2020–21 season prediction: 30-42, 14th in the West.
Oklahoma City Thunder
2019–20 finish: 44-28, second in the Northwest, lost in first round.
Major additions: Al Horford, George Hill, Trevor Ariza, Justin Jackson, Darius Miller, Aleksej Pokusevski (R).
Major subtractions: Chris Paul, Steven Adams, Danilo Galinari, Dennis Schroder, Nerlens Noel, Andre Roberson.
Best-case scenario: Just get through the season unscathed, and with a bunch of obvious development from the young players on the team. This is the first year of a very obvious rebuild, as GM Sam Presti shipped out well over half the 2019–20 roster for a boatload of picks and, sure, a few players. Now it’s 22-year-old Canadian guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s team, and he will be given a big, bright green light. There will be no post-season here, but the regular season could be enjoyable all the same.
Worst-case scenario: Gilgeous-Alexander suffers under the strain of carrying this entire team. Going from up-and-coming player to the go-to option on an NBA team can be a tough transition. But this one — where he’ll lead the way for basically an entirely new rotation — will be particularly jarring. He’ll get a lot of defensive attention, and will have to adjust a ton over the course of the season, which will test both his malleability and his confidence. All that said, you have to like Presti’s decision to keep around the trio of Al Horford, George Hill and Trevor Ariza, who’ve seen and done a whole lot in their time in the NBA, and will hopefully provide the support network any budding star needs.
2020–21 season prediction: 26-46, 15th in the West.
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