NBA Northwest Division Preview: Jazz are ready to hit all the right notes

The 2021-22 NBA campaign is nearly upon us. To get you primed for the upcoming season, we’ll be running through season previews of each NBA division. Today we’re zeroing in on the Northwest Division.

UTAH JAZZ

2020-21 record: 52-20
Key additions: Rudy Gay, Hassan Whiteside, Eric Paschall
Key departures: Georges Niang

The Utah Jazz had a dominant regular season, but once more couldn’t translate it into playoff success. Ultimately, they were struck down by injuries to Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley as well as an unfavorable stylistic matchup with the LA Clippers.

But whatever the reason, a group only gets so many chances before the plans become stale, a coach gets tuned out, or a star starts to get wandering eyes. The Jazz need to get playoff results this season in a bad way. Luckily for them, other contenders including the aforementioned Clippers as well as division rivals Denver Nuggets are likely to take a step back this year, clearing the way for the Jazz to have their deepest playoff run since the ’90s.

DENVER NUGGETS

2020-21 record: 47-25
Key additions: Jeff Green, Bones Hyland
Key departures: Paul Millsap

The Denver Nuggets should be contenders this year. But the basketball gods care little for "should." Sadly, the April ACL injury to Jamal Murray likely means that this season will play out similarly to last year, with a promising regular season campaign giving way to the Nuggets being beaten out on talent in the postseason. Still, there are reasons for excitement.

The Nuggets extended Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon, so their window should be open for at least the next few years. And the roster has a plethora of guards including Monté Morris, Austin Rivers, and Bones Hyland capable of filling in for Murray as Nicola Jokic’s pick and roll partners for the regular season.

Barring a much sooner-than-expected return to form by Murray, this is a holding pattern year for Denver. But they’ll be a serious title threat again soon, and possibly for a long time.

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

2020-21 record: 42-30
Key additions: Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller
Key departures: Zach Collins, Carmelo Anthony, Enes Kanter

The Portland Trail Blazers had a decent regular season last year, despite being once again marred by injury. But in a demoralizing first-round matchup, they were utterly demolished by a depleted Nuggets team. 

It’s hard to consider this season anything less than make-or-break for the Blazers. Despite his halfhearted assurances to the contrary, it seems that Damian Lillard’s patience with the franchise has nearly run its course. Trading for Larry Nance Jr., assuming he can stay healthy, is a serious upgrade for Portland. And CJ McCollum was putting together an All-Star caliber campaign before he was injured last season.

But the Blazers will need to beat the odds if the Lillard era is to continue in Rip City.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

2020-21 record: 23-49
Key Additions: Patrick Beverley
Key Departures: Juancho Hernangomez, Jarrett Culver

The Minnesota Timberwolves finished with the sixth-worst record last year and didn’t even have a first-round pick to show for it.

You’d be forgiven for not watching the Wolves much after the All-Star break, but there were promising signs. New head coach Chris Finch was the mastermind behind a couple of notable offensive transformations in the NBA and seems to, at last, be the Minnesota coach that might maximize Karl Anthony-Towns on that end.

Finch has now had an offseason and a training camp to overhaul the playbook on both ends, and reportedly the plan is to mimic Nikola Jokic’s defensive assignments by having KAT come high to the ball against opposing screening actions. Anthony Edwards also changed his shot diet and has shown flashes of stardom in the process. 

Their Play-In hopes this year depend on their defense, and their first preseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans was encouraging.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

2020-21 record: 22-50
Key additions: Josh Giddey
Key departures: Al Horford

The Oklahoma City Thunder are the only team in the division, and one of the few league-wide, not trying to win this year.  The Thunder will need to collect more players and hopefully, the No. 1 overall pick that eluded them at the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery before they can begin cashing in on their trove of first-round picks. 

This year will all be about watching the aesthetically pleasing passing of Josh Giddey and how he transitions from NBL to NBA competition and fits alongside franchise cornerstone Shai-Gilgeous Alexander.

NORTHWEST DIVISION PREDICTION 

The Utah Jazz had the point differential of a 65 win team last year and made no major changes. They are set up to dominate the division again this year.

Northwest Division pick: UTAH JAZZ (-278)