2022 NBA Northwest Division preview
With the NBA season just about to begin, it’s time to preview what’s in store for the Northwest Division.
Utah Jazz
The Jazz from last season have been completely disassembled, trading away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.
The team received numerous picks for both of their top players, which likely means the Jazz will be in rebuilding mode this season.
This upcoming draft has some elite top prospects, most notably Victor Wembanyaama, which will entice many teams, including the Jazz, to tank for a top draft pick.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are a major title contender, led by two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokić.
Jokić didn’t have a lot to work with last season, surrounded by mainly role players and no real stars around him. However, with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. returning from injury, the Nuggets may once again look like the Nuggets team that made it to the Western Conference Finals in 2020.
Murray has missed the last 18 months with a torn ACL. When healthy, he and Jokić have one of the greatest pick-and-roll combinations in the league that manages to get everyone involved and rely less solely on Jokić, which will be the key to winning the title.
Porter has been plagued with injuries his whole basketball career, which will be a major question mark for this team. Without him, the Nuggets can make a deep playoff run, but with him, this Nuggets team may just be the best team in the Western Conference.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves drastically improved their interior defense for this upcoming season by trading numerous picks and pieces for Rudy Gobert.
Gobert will make a huge difference in the regular season, providing an intimidating presence in the paint that hasn’t existed with Karl Anthony-Towns. This was the team’s weakness the past few seasons, but can potentially become one of their strengths.
The fit may be clunky considering Towns and Gobert are polar opposites, which is why the Timberwolves shouldn’t be viewed as a title threat. However, the team has improved and has increased its chances to get out of the first round.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers come into the season once again in no man’s land, not bad enough to tank for a top pick and not good enough to win the NBA Finals.
Last season was likely a fluke for the Blazers, with Damian Lillard only playing 29 games with a stomach injury. He has generally been a very healthy and durable player his whole career and looks to be back completely healthy.
The team has some solid role players alongside Lillard, including Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkić, Jerami Grant and Gary Payton Ⅱ.
If Lillard is healthy the whole year, this team can make the playoffs, but will likely get bounced in the first round. However, if some bad luck comes their way, look out for the Blazers to switch to a rebuilding situation.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder have a surprising amount of good players considering the team’s record.
However, after the second overall pick Chet Holmgren got injured with a season-ending foot injury, the Thunder will most likely end up at the bottom of the standings once again.
The team has rested its top talent and tanked the last few seasons, and with one of the top draft classes coming up, the Thunder will likely maintain their rebuilding status.
Christopher Reynolds is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email him at clr5971@psu.edu.
