NLL Insider - Northwest Division Previewby vt, updated on Wednesday, November 08 2017, 02:21 am EST
Key storyline: Escaping the past. Each of the teams in the Northwest
Conference are trying to shake the shackles of bad GMing and trying to make
their way towards the elite status that has eluded them under crappy guidance.
As I mentioned before, it took the Thunder years
to reach this level after Boyd ran the organization into the ground. We have two
words: Nolan. Smith. Don’t make emotional trades. The
Utah Jazz know a thing or two about bad skippers. Former GM Proid is likely to
go down as one of the league’s worst and the Jazz was the first of three teams that crumbled in his wake.
It has taken current GM Merencio a long time, but the Jazz are looking strong with
players like LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins running the show.
Hell, if Proid was still in town, he would have traded them all for Metta World
Peace and Rudy Gay. No
disrespect to current Orlando GM Javijoe (well, maybe a little), but he left the
Minnesota Timberwolves in really bad shape when he skipped town for the Magic
Kingdom. Current GM Spudspace had his work cut out for him and using his
cutthroat trading techniques, he has turned the Pups back into contenders. He
even ganked DeMarcus Cousins from Javi! This team looks like a contender. The
Nuggets are in a different situation. GM Rootsey took over a team from a GM
(Nick) who ran a pretty tight ship. Sadly, towards the end of Nick’s tenure,
the Nuggets talent began to erode a bit. GM Rootsey came to town, held onto
John Wall, and managed the transform the Nuggets into a perennial contender. Then
there’s Portland. GM Toby, though initially shaky, is doing a tremendous job
with the lowly Blazers. If there is anyone the admin staff let stay in the NLL
too long, it’s DJdrew. This organization needed a big SOS and now, though far
away from contender status, the team actually has some bright spots on-board
(and even Rudy Gay!) which are the building blocks for a potentially strong
franchise.
Five best players:
1) Timberwolves C DeMarcus Cousins- Cousins is an absolute beast and a DMC and Danilo
Gallinari front court is pretty scary. GM Spudspace got the tempestuous player
for a song last season (nice work, Javi!) and he appears ready to do some
damage for the Timberwolves! 30 points and 12 rebounds a game is some pretty
intense stuff. Just don’t get him angry!
2) Nuggets PG John Wall- The Nuggets know that John Wall is a franchise player.
They have had since 2013 following a trade with the Portland Blazers and they
have him locked up for six more years. As a floor general, Wall has elevated
the Nuggets. Though his points per game dropped last season, his assists
skyrocketed, showing that Wall can do it all, and even help his teammates get
into the game as well.
3) Jazz PF LaMarcus Aldridge – After numerous up and down years in Philly, LMA looks
to have finally found a good home in Salt Lake City. The big man just inked a
big extension this summer to stick with the Jazz. GM Merencio pursued the power
forward for years and once Jabari Parker came on the scene (and then went) in
Philly, LMA was not needed. The Sixers would love to have him now.
4) Thunder C- Nikola Jokic- GM Nenjabin loves finding steals in the 2nd
round and Nikola Jokic is exactly that. Drafted at #33 back in 2014, Jokic
finally assumed the mantle and pushed Jonas Valanciunas out of town. While his defensive
game is quite good, Jokic is a monster offensive player. He has a whopping 90
offensive rating. While there may be bigger names on the Thunder, Jokic may
very well be the team’s best player.
5) Thunder PG- Dennis Schroder – I am listing Schroder because he should be starting.
GM Nenjabin should either trade Ricky Rubio or move him to the bench in favor
of Schroder. The German player is looking to break out this season and GM
Nenjabin should give him the keys after signing a huge extension. He’s just
that good.
Sleeper: It may feel like he’s been around forever, but Eric
Gordon is only 28 years old. Bounced around a bit last season, Gordon has found
a starting role with the Denver Nuggets. Working alongside John Wall, this
could be Gordon’s year to shine as his point guard feeds him sharp passes and
helps him create open looks all night long.
Breakout Star: His massive extension with Nuggets seemed to come out
of the blue, but Norman Powell could be poised for something great this season.
Long and athletic, Powell is turning into something more, the type that can
lead a team’s offense. Currently relegated to only 15 minutes per night, Powell
has some serious competition to cut through in Gordon, Otto Porter and Dwyane
Wade before he gets minutes, but if he does get the time, he can really prove
to the Nuggets fans why he got paid some much.
Best newcomer: DeMarcus Cousins. He could quite possibly help bring
another title back to the Twin Cities if he doesn’t manage to get suspended
along the way.
Prediction: Oklahoma City has this division again this year. The
competition is gaining, but they aren’t there yet. The Timberwolves, under some
new guidance, will finish second, the Nuggets third and the Jazz fourth. All four
of these teams may make the playoffs. The Blazers will come in last and will
have to fight ending the season with the league’s worst record. And thanks to
DJDrew, they don’t even have their pick. |
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