Team to beat: The Portland Trailblazers are easily the best team in this division. When you combine Dwight Howard and Joe Johnson, you already have a killer one-two punch. Even if the bench isn’t as deep as some other teams, the Blazers pair their stars with some good role players. The fact that free agent Ramon Sessions stayed in town is clutch. Jason Thompson continues to develop into an excellent post player.

Key story line: This season is all about changes, out with the old and in with the new. How will the Nuggets fair for their first full season without longtime GM Nick? Will number one rookie Andrew Wiggins thrive in Utah and will Derrick Rose stay healthy long enough to give his new team a boost? The Jazz feature an exciting, young starting five, but are too new to keep up with JJ and Dwight? And lastly, how long will the new players last in Minnesota before they get tossed to the tradewinds?

Five best players:

1) Timberwolves PG Chris Paul – The Wolves scored big here, grabbing the best point guard in the game. However, he comes with the price tag befitting such a description. Paul can take over the game and also lead his squad to victory. A true leader and definitely the brightest light for an already tarnished season in Minny.

2) Thunder SG Jimmy Butler- What’s Butler doing up this high? He may just be the guy to get the Thunder out of the NLL ghetto. Butler is a major athletic talent and one of the players with the best all-around game in the Northwest Division. He is just going to get better, so why not aim high in our rankings here?

3) Nuggets PG John Wall- Another excellent point guard, Wall is the face of the Nuggets with his explosive play. He knows how to score, whether it’s cutting to the rim or creating plays for his teammates.

4) Blazers C Dwight Howard- Dinged a few notches for injury issues, Howard is like having a cave troll on your team. He is huge, strong and athletic. Easily the most dominant player in the league.

5) Blazers C Joe Johnson- A talented guard, Joe Johnson has done well with his time in Portland. Can play multiple position and score. What else do you want?

Sleeper: The Denver Nuggets may give the Blazers a run for their money. The team has up-and-coming stars in Derrick Favors and John Wall, but also suffers from shoddy depth. If Danilo Gallinari stays healthy, the team has another great offensive weapon in its arsenal. Unfortunately, untested youngsters such as Cody Zeller, Alex Len and James Young will be required to pitch in big. None of these players are quite ready for prime time, so if they do turn out big, that could be enough to push the Nuggets over the edge.

Breakout star: The Jazz got a steal when they traded the viciously overrated C.J. McCollum for Markieff Morris. That Memphis GM and his buddy should be ashamed of himself for falling for Merencio’s hard sell. In Morris, the Jazz get a great combo of talent and athleticism. He is a hard-nosed rebounder who can actually step out and hit a three-pointer, making him dangerous to leave open and difficult to guard. With a little more attention given to his defensive game, Morris stands a chance to break out this year.

Best newcomer: You can’t argue with the acquisition of Chris Paul. The guy is just too good. The Wolves did pay a heavy price to bring the point guard in from Sacramento, but there is a good chance it will be well worth it.

Prediction: The Blazers should easily win the division here. Their competition isn’t too dangerous. The Nuggets just aren’t as good and Oklahoma City and Utah, even though they both have some key young players, are still in the middle of rebuilding hell and the Minnesota Timberwolves feature a different lineup every four weeks, making consistency non-existent. There is a chance only one or two of these teams will even make the playoffs as the other divisions sport the stronger teams in the Western Conference.