The Northwest Division NBA Preview

Denver Nuggets - 38-28 record last season. 6th seed in the playoffs. Lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

Ideal Rotation: Ty Lawson, Andre Iguodala, Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried, Kosta Koufos / Andre Miller, Corey Brewer, Wilson Chandler, JaVale McGee, Timofey Mozgov

Storyline/s: Their depth got an upgrade with the acquisition of Iguodala as part of their participation in the Dwight Howard deal. With the depth, who is the go-to-guy when the situation amounts itself to?

X-Factor/s: Can JaVale unlock his true potential under George Karl? A nation on the other side of the Pacific anticipates while the paperwork for his naturalization is being undertaken.

Prognosis: Exiting the first round of the playoffs.

Minnesota Timberwolves - 26-40 record last season. Missed the playoffs.

Ideal Rotation: Ricky Rubio, Brandon Roy, Andrei Kirilenko, Derrick Williams, Kevin Love / Luke Ridnour, Alexei Shved, Chase Budinger, Dante Cunningham, Nikola Pekovic, JJ Barea

Storyline/s: Kevin Love has made it known that this team needs to contend in the next few seasons. That, and the waiting for Ricky Rubio to return to the court.

X-Factor/s: How much does Brandon Roy have left in the tank? And how much does that knee have left in it?

Prognosis: Missing the playoffs.

Oklahoma City Thunder - 47-19 record last season. Division Champions. Conference Champions. Lost to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.

Ideal Rotation: Russell Westbrook, Kevin Martin, Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins / Eric Maynor, Thabo Sefolosha, Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones III, Nick Collison, Reggie Jackson

Storyline/s: They were schooled by Miami in the finals. Humbled, yet undaunted, their quest remains in returning to that destination and finish what was started. That was until Sam Presti pulled off the James Harden trade.

X-Factor/s: All eyes now on Kevin Martin as he steps into Harden's shoes. Eric Maynor returns after rehabbing from his injury.

Prognosis: Division Champions. Conference Champions. Exiting in the NBA Finals.

Portland Trailblazers - 28-38 record last season. Missed the playoffs.

Ideal Rotation: Damian Lillard, Wesley Matthews, Nic Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge, JJ Hickson / Ronnie Price, Sasha Pavlovic, Victor Claver, Meyers Leonard

Storyline/s: The rebuilding process has begun, with the centerpiece on Aldridge. The keys to the offense has been handed to a rookie point guard. Terry Stotts has taken over.

X-Factor/s: Wes is expected to do more this season. Nic Batum got himselft a nice contract, and with such, much is expected.

Prognosis: Missing the playoffs.

Utah Jazz - 36-30 record last season. 8th seed in the playoffs. Lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.

Ideal Rotation: Mo Williams, Gordon Hayward, Marvin Williams, Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson / Jamaal Tinsley, Randy Foye, Alec Burks, Enes Kanter, Derrick Favors

Storyline/s: Ty Corbin remakes the backcourt, adding Mo and Randy to a potent frontcourt with All-Star caliber players. Will it be enough to stave off others who want that final slot that went to them last season?

X-Factor/s: The pressure is off Marvin Williams now, the pressure of having to live being Atlanta's 2nd overall selection in a draft that featured stud point guards in Chris Paul and Deron Williams.

Prognosis: Missing the playoffs.

TWTWTNBA: The Northwest Division All-Star Roster Pool

 
All-Star Voting for the Starters ended on Sunday, with the final ballot numbers to be released on Thursday in TNT at Madison Square Garden (Friday for those in the Motherland). Heat vs Knicks being the reason why Ernie and his crew will be in Broadway instead of their cushy Atlanta studios. A week after that, the All-Star Reserves are to be named.

Now, if the Northwest Division were to set up an All-Star team of their own, this would be their logical pool of candidates:

Denver Nuggets - Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Nene

Minnesota Timberwolves - Kevin Love, Michael Beasley

Oklahoma City Thunder - Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, Serge Ibaka


Portland Trailblazers -  LaMarcus Aldridge,Wesley Matthews, Andre Miller, Brandon Roy

Utah Jazz - Deron Williams, Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson

Based from this, I believe this would be their roster composition.

Coach: Jerry Sloan - The taskmaster has a good knack coming from behind.

Starters:

Guard: Deron Williams - The new age John Stockon for the Jazz. The new rules are tailored for him to take over.

Guard: Russell Westbrook - He has The Sports Guy using references from The Wire comparing his situation with Kevin Durant. Also a Most Improved Player candidate.

Forward: Kevin Durant - NBA's leading scorer. All around good guy. The future has definitely arrived.

Forward: Carmelo Anthony - Currently the center of attention. His move to New York seems inevitable.

Center: LaMarcus Aldridge - With Brandon Roy out, he's emerged as the go-to-guy for Nate McMillan.

Reserves:

Forward: Paul Millsap - Quite simply the most egregious omission on the All-Star Ballot this year.

Forward: Kevin Love - Only Minnesota's miserable record is keeping him from being universally considered as an All-Star.

Guard: Chauncey Billups - With all the unsteadiness of the Carmelo situation, the veteran has somewhat stabled the ship

Center: Nene - Can make the argument for being the best performing center on the Western Conference All-Star Ballot.

Guard: Andre Miller - Without Brandon Roy, he gets to run the team his way, instead of having the usual clashes he has when both of them are on the court.

Guard: Wesley Matthews - He definitely is the main beneficiary of Brandon Roy's absence. He's definitely earning his pay.

Forward: Michael Beasley - Being transplanted from the hotbed of Miami to the frozen tundra of Minneapolis sure helped him, although there are still signs of immaturity still lurking (getting ejected in their loss against the Clippers). David Kahn snagged him cheap.


Inactive Roster:

Guard: Brandon Roy - Please do not rush your comeback. Please do not rush your comeback.

Center: Al Jefferson - Stepped up nicely with Memo being sidelined.

Forward: Jeff Green -  He's the third wheel in Oklahoma City.

TWTWTNBA: The Prokhorov Presser

While watching the LA Clippers manhandle the Minnesota Timberpups (and feel the frustration of Blake Griffin's double-double streak end while Kevin Love's still chugging along), local tv showed NBA TV's Gametime announcing that Mikhail Prokhorov (yes, the guy who owns the soon-to-be-Brooklyn Nets) was to hold a press conference on their Night of Russian Culture (a.k.a. their veiled attempt at recruiting upcoming free agent and fellow Russian Andrei Kirilenko of the Utah Jazz). I was relatively surprised at what happened next...

He announced that the New Jersey Nets are exiting out of the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes. He said that he is done with this circus. It was shocking. But it probably might be the right decision. Both the Nets and the Nuggets have been in a tailspin. Even Carmelo's numbers were on a dip until their win at home against Oklahoma City yesterday.

Well, the proposed deal also involved the Detroit Pistons, who already showed their hand with the constant DNP-CD's of Rip Hamilton. The collapse of the deal has shown immediate results as Troy Murphy has asked for a trade.

Obviously this might be good news for the Knicks, who are currently on a 4-game slide. But, they do not have the necessary assets pull off the deal as of the moment. Still don't know if the Pistons are interested. The Grizzlies were rumored to be involved and as much as people want the Clippers to make a move, I and along with some of my fellow Clipper fans, say no to such a deal, because Melo is bad juju to a young and upcoming bunch of kids with OKC-like chemistry blending.

The question now lies with Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri and Nuggets Owner Stan Kroenke, as well as Carmelo. The Nets made their gambit. What is your response?

TWTWTNBA: Western Conference Christmas / New Year Wish List

It's the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 and we already know the good, the bad and probably the ugly in the current 2010 season. So, it is appropriate to compose the not-so-weekly-post that I do. The center of conversation would be what Santa Stern would give to the teams in theory for Christmas? Or what would their New Year's resolution would be? Here's a small sample size.

Northwest

Denver - To secure what really is the most beneficial solution involving Carmelo Anthony. Then proceed accordingly.

Minnesota - For them to really figure out what they ought to be doing with the rights to Ricky Rubio. For Kevin Love to possibly win the rebounding title. Peace of mind for Michael Beasley.

Oklahoma City - Air Congo possibly making a surprise presence at the Dunk Contest. Maintaining team chemistry as the kids get better.

Portland - A top tier medical staff to address specifically the needs of Greg Oden and Brandon Roy and in Greg's case, a sports psychologist. A new team for Rudy Fernandez (and possibly Andre Miller). Probably the wherewithal to tell Brandon Roy to rest.

Utah - A Jerry Sloan Coach of the Year Trophy. Find the true successor to Jeff Hornacek.

Southwest

Dallas - As of the moment, with Dirk on the mend, the last thing they need is another injury. And then Caron happened.

Houston - A return on investment for Yao Ming.

Memphis - To be more mature and handling chemistry issues. Fights like what happened between OJ Mayo and Tony Allen need to be avoided.

New Orleans - For everything to be right with Chris Paul's knee. For the NBA to do the right thing with how they are to handle their ownership of the Hornets.

San Antonio - Quite simply, for the health of their key guys. Duncan is obviously is slowly into the David Robinson fade phase.

Pacific

Golden State - An All-Star berth for Monta Ellis. And a constant effort from everyone on the defensive end. Credit for Dorell Wright earning his paycheck with his play.

Defending Champs - For Andrew Bynum to just get it. And after how they got blown out by the Grizz, for someone to knock some sense into them, as per Phil.

Los Angeles - For Blake Griffin to continue to be the gift that keeps on giving. A Baron Davis that is happy to accept the role as a facilitator and defer to Eric Gordon and Blake.

Phoenix - A Vince Carter that would be reinvigorated via the Steve Nash osmosis. Marcin Gortat being the guy that Mark Cuban wanted to get.

Sacramento - A Demarcus Cousins with his head screwed on straight.

The West on a Tier - An Alternative Look at the Western Conference

You have seen the Pacific, Northwest & Southwest Divisions as previewed by someone. Time to put in my two cents on the picture.

Yes, I know the season has started. Been a little busy. And as per someone's wishes, the Miami admiration / bashing via the one-off posts will be kept at a bare minimum.

Here we go.

1st Tier: The Champs

Los Angeles Lakers

What I Like: Adding Steve Blake, Theo Ratliff and Matt Barnes is certainly a huge upgrade.

What I do not Like: Injury woes with Andrew Bynum still dogging them.

The one key factor: Pau Gasol. He's gonna carry this team (especially early on) with Kobe taking it nice and easy due to his knee issues. I think he will be in the 20-10 range this season.

2nd Tier: The Wily Veterans

Dallas Mavericks

What I Like: Having Tyson Chandler to lob to for Jason Kidd. Dirk being Dirk. Mark Cuban. The possibility of Mavs games at the Jerryworld.

What I do not Like: Kidd is 38. He's reduced to shooting threes at this point.

The one key factor: Do the veterans still have it in them? They always seem to come up short. Dirk has logged in a lot of minutes as well and can he withstand the long season (although he did not participate in Istanbul).

San Antonio Spurs

What I Like: They are the most fundamental team on earth. They'll bore you to death.

What I do not Like: Injury concerns with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

The one key factor: DeJuan Blair as the starting center of the Spurs. Timmy D's is in the downward slope of his career. He needs to help him carry the weight, so to speak.

Utah Jazz

What I Like: How the Jazz stole Al Jefferson the way the Lakers stole Pau Gasol. A stud PG in Deron Williams. Jerry Sloan still coaching the pick & roll.

What I do not Like: The hole in their shooting guard position, because Portland millsap'd Wesley Matthews after his playoff performance. All up to CJ Miles and Raja Bell.

The one key factor: Whether AK-47 will return to his peak form. If not with the Jazz, he's a good expiring contract to use as an asset.

3rd Tier: The Wildcard

Oklahoma City Thunder


What I Like: Pretty much everything. I got a mancrush on this team, have to admit.

What I do not Like: They don't have a savvy veteran leadership who would say, "I've been here before." Does Mo Pete apply in this case? Law of averages? (They were pretty much injury-free last year.)

The one key factor: Can they handle the pressure of being one of the top teams in the conference? Lots of eyes are on them. Will they live up to the expectations? Remember, they were one-and-done last time.

4th Tier: Central Question Marks

Portland Trailblazers

What I Like: Brandon Roy. Their head coach Nate McMillan. The mix of good veteran leaders and youngsters.

What I do not Like: Greg Oden going the Sam Bowie route. And he did the Brett Favre (even though he predated it). The lingering row between Miller and Roy.

The one key factor: Injuries have kowtowed their chances to succeed the past few seasons, especially last year. I know Sam Presti has seen what the Blazers have gone through, because what Portland was before, Oklahoma City is now.

Houston Rockets

What I Like: Kevin Martin and Aaron Brooks shooting lots and lots of FT attempts. That and Luis Scola.

What I do not Like: None, really. But if pressed, probably the Chinese obsession in All-Star voting.

The one key factor: What Yao Ming can do in 24 minutes/game. Career wise, that would be translating into 14-7 with 1 blk.

Denver Nuggets

What I Like: The altitude factor. Chauncey Billups. The promise of Ty Lawson. The Fight against Cancer by George Karl.

What I do not Like: The atrocious neck tattoos on Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen.

The one key factor: The Carmelo situation, also known as the white elephant in the room. Everything follows once that is settled. Could last as long as Lebron's.

5th Tier: Good, but not THAT Good

Phoenix Suns

What I Like: Alvin Gentry's version of the SSOL. Steve Nash. Jared Dudley. Josh Childress. Sideshow Mel a.k.a Robin Lopez. Alvin Gentry's daughter (she's an avid tweeter.)

What I do not Like: Too much wings, which may result in Hedo playing PF. God held him.

The one key factor: As always, the medicine men of the Suns. Grant Hill was finally healthy. Imagine that.

New Orleans Hornets

What I Like: Current GM Dell Demps used to play in the Philippines as a reinforcement. The Skip Prosser connection (CP3 / David West)

What I do not Like: Still bogged down by bad contracts (although not as much as before). Marco Bellinelli starting alongside CP3. I still remember Marco as the Summer League stud.

The one key factor: How Monty Williams fares in his head coaching debut. I think I still have his NBA trading card. My how old I am.

6th Tier: On the Cusp

Los Angeles Clippers

What I Like: Admittedly biased, I like almost everything with them. Starting with Blake Griffin.

What I do not Like: Knowing that the Clipper malaise is just around the corner, waiting and waiting. Losing Steve Blake to the other side of Staples.

The one key factor: Baron Davis. All I ask him is to Getcha Head in the Game. And stay healthy, too.

Memphis Grizzlies

What I Like: How these guys can go up and down the court and showcase their athleticism.

What I do not Like: They'll be making a lot of financial decisions this coming offseason, starting with Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Still think they overpaid Rudy Gay.

The one key factor: Will Mike Conley be the PG that can run this team? They need a capable PG to run an offense.

Sacramento Kings

What I Like: The young cast of characters. The uptempo nature of Paul Westphal.

What I do not Like: Logjam with Cousins, Dalembert, Landry, Thompson at the bigs and Garcia, Greene, Casspi at the wings.

The one key factor: #Reke4ROY is over. What's the next step for Tyreke? His development will determine if they would be able to go up to the tier above within the next two years.

7th Tier: Needs Reimaging

Golden State Warriors

What I Like: Steph Curry, who is one of the smartest young studs out there. The fans who stood by with this team even when they stink, and out here, there are a lot of people I know who trace their links to the Bay Area who love them as well.

What I do not Like: How this team is really that bad defensively. Dorell Wright starting at the 3. Monta Ellis, because he really is overrated.

The one key factor: How Keith Smart will do in his first head coaching job. Will he keep the Nellieball concept? Based from how things are, he just might.

Minnesota Timberwolves

What I Like: As a Clipper fan, having their first round pick in 2012 (Thank you, Marko). Kevin Love.

What I do not Like: David Kahn running this franchise, knowing Stephen Curry could have made wonders.

The one key factor: The potential of Michael Beasley could be realized. Or it could set them back so far...

TWTWTNBA: The Melo Conundrum

So, the Nuggets finally relented and decided to do the inevitable and listen to trade offers involving Carmelo Anthony. They're not going to get full value, but they'll try. Who should be trying to pry away him from the Rocky Mountains?

These are in no particular order, by the way.

1. Los Angeles Clippers. Homerism aside, they have an interesting trade chip (David Kahn's unprotected future 1st round pick. You can thank Adrianna Lima's husband). They can also dangle any combination of Chris Kaman, Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon and Aminu. In the end though, Sterling will nix it for he is Donald Sterling.

2. Chicago Bulls. Any deals that Denver would be interested in would probably involve Joakim Noah. The Bulls would like to jettison Luol Deng out of Chi-town at this point. Other than that, no dice.

3. New Jersey Nets. If this Russian billionaire is like the one that's running Chelsea FC, they will be looking for a star. They struck out on Lebron (for now), so they train their eyes on Melo for the Barclays marquee. They can trade Derrick Favors, a gaggle of big men and possibly Devin Harris.

4. New York Knicks. Because they are Melo's top choice. Unfortunately, they don't exactly have the ammo for a deal. They'll need a conduit third team in the mix.

5. Philadelphia 76rs. The Sixers would be interesting if they can part with Iggy and/or Brand. Yes, Elton pretty much sucked since he left the Clips to sign that huge contract. Iggy played well in Istanbul, but he's a glue guy paid like a superstar (sort of what Rudy Gay is now).

6. Orlando Magic. They are so ridiculously deep that they can offload them onto someone and not miss a beat. Gortat / Bass would be included, as would probably Vince. Hey, they can jettison the rights to the coward named Fran Vasquez.

7. Washington Wizards. Melo grew up in Baltimore, so a hometown trip may be what he needs. He would also be relieving pressure on John Wall to become a scorer and focus more being a distributor. It's unlikely though because it will definitely involve Gilbert Arenas' contract, which is highly immovable.

8. Los Angeles Lakers. Imagine Melo with Kobe and Pau vis-a-vis the South Beach Diet of Wade, Lebron, and Bosh. They'll have to part with Odom and Bynum to do this, for starters. If Kupchak pulls this one off, God help us.

9. Houston Rockets. Given that Yao Ming is the Zydrunas Ilgauskas 2.0, Daryl Morey has some nice trade chips he can use to snag Melo (Kevin Martin or Luis Scola, but not both).

10. Atlanta Hawks. I just think that the Hawks need to shake their offensive lineup a little bit. I have a sense that there is not really much upside left and they need to fix it to compete with the upgrades that Miami and Boston conducted. A Melo-JR Smith for Joe Johnson-Marvin Williams swap could help both squads.