PART 11 OF 30
The Minnesota Timberwolves:
PG: Ricky Rubio|JJ Barea|Lorenzo Brown
SG: Kevin Martin|Alexey Shved|Shabazz Muhammad
SF: Chase Budinger|Corey Brewer|Dante Cunningham
PF: Kevin Love|Derrick Williams|Chris Johnson
C: Nikola Pekovich|Ronny Turiaf|Gorgui Dieng
This is a very slept-on team. If everybody stays healthy and the youngins tap into their potential (Rubio, Williams, Muhammad, etc) this could be a team nobody wants to face in the first round of the playoffs. They finally addressed their anemic SG spot with Kevin Martin, resigned the hulking Pekovic to a decent contract and get a (knock on wood) healthy Kevin Love back. Coached by Rick Adelman, you know this will be a fun team to watch. Also b/c they’re coached by the sea captain, they’ll probably underachieve if they make the playoffs.
Bottom Line: Hot or cold, this team should at the very least get some regular run on your NBA League Pass viewing. I’m buying their chances at making the playoffs, they can’t be injured all the time.
PART 12 OF 30
The Denver Nuggets:
PG: Ty Lawson|Andre Miller|Nate Robinson
SG: Randy Foye|Evan Fournier|Jordan Hamilton
SF: Danilo Galinari|Wilson Chandler|Quincy Miller
PF: Kenneth Faried|JJ Hickson|Darrel Arthur|Anthony Randolph
C: JaVale McGee|Timofey Mozgov
New head coach Brian Shaw gets to put his money where his mouth is on the NBA’s mile high team. Some key departures in Iguodala and Koufos leave the team in a bit of roster imbalance. SG looks pretty weak, with pint sized gunners Robinson and Foye probably spending a good deal of time there. They’re loaded with natural SFs and can throw out some potent small ball lineups by moving Chandler to the 4, a tried-and-true strategy for Denver teams thanks to the elevation. However, Shaw is pigeonholed as a Triangle disciple so we’ll see how much running the Nugs actually do. McGee, paid like a starter, probably starts again which if his days in Washington are any indication will be an experiment.
Bottom Line: Still a lot of talent left but rookie head coach Shaw is going to have to be creative with lineups and hope the team gels in order to be a surefire playoff team. They’ll be in the mix for the last few berths all season long, most likely.
PART 13 OF 30
The Oklahoma City Thunder:
PG: Russell Westbrook|Reggie Jackson|Derek Fisher
SG: Thabo Sefolosha|Jeremy Lamb|DeAndre Liggins
SF: Kevin Durant|Ryan Gomes|Perry Jones III|Andre Roberson
PF: Serge Ibaka|Nick Collison|Daniel Orton
C: Kendrick Perkins|Hasheem Thabeet|Steven Adams
This team looked really one-dimensional when fifth Ninja Turtle Westbrook went down, like really unimpressive. As great as Durant is, he was carrying a lot of dead weight. Chief among them is Perkins, but talent wise I’m not sure how well OKC measures up with WC rivals after the big 2 of RW and KD. They did a solid job of making the best out of a bad draft by picking up potential man-beast Steven Adams and Spanish sharpshooter Alex Abrines, the latter of which I wouldn’t be surprised to see come over right away instead of being stashed in Europe. Reggie Jackson is a killer, do not be mistaken. He was a terror for Boston College and he’ll fill those big shoes left by Harden (and Kevin Martin) pretty nicely. It’s not a like-for-like swap but about as good a plan B as you can get. And if Lamb and PJIII start to shine, it will take a lot of weight off of Durant’s slender shoulders.
Bottom Line: Still among the West’s elite, but a coaching change or some roster tweaking might be needed to improve their chances of taking that final step.
PART 14 OF 30
The Portland Trailblazers:
PG: Damian Lillard|Mo Williams|Earl Watson
SG: Wesley Matthews|CJ McCollum|Will Barton|Terrel Harris
SF: Nic Batum|Victor Claver|Dorell Wright|Allen Crabbe
PF: LaMarcus Aldridge|Thomas Robinson|Joel Freeland
C: Robin Lopez|Meyers Leonard
How many combo guards does Portland need? I’m not sure Lillard is a pure point, I’m pretty certain rookie McCollum isn’t, and everybody knows what Mo Williams wants to do: Get buckets. I thought they drafted well though, and I’m high on their young guys. I’m not sure Robinson is going to escape that bust label and I’m definitely skeptical of Encino Man being their answer as the enforcing center desperately needed beside LMA. There’s still some serious depth issues and I’m not sure coaching and chemistry is there either.
Bottom Line: This is a borderline playoff team, especially if Damian Lillard hits a sophomore slump.
PART 15 OF 30
The Utah Jazz:
PG: Trey Burke|Alec Burks|John Lucas|Ian Clark
SG: Gordon Hayward|Brandon Rush|Jerel McNeal
SF: Marvin Williams|Richard Jefferson|Jeremy Evans
PF: Derrick Favors|Andris Biedrins
C: Enes Kanter|Rudy Gobert
Wow, is there ever some horrendous depth here. Rookie point guard is thrown into the fire after looking terrible in Summer League and the young big duo of Favors and Kanter are also in “show us whatcha got” mode after Utah let Milsap and Jefferson walk in free agency. They got sidled with all of Golden State’s rubbish in Richard Jefferson, Biedrins, and oft-injured Brandon Rush. Hopefully the latter and Marvin Williams show up this year or Utah’s wings will be as threatening as a Mormon on caffeine. Coach Ty Corbin hasn’t done much but increase his critics either with a penchant for bizarre rotations. The funny thing is, if Kanters and Favors are anywhere close to being as good as they ought to be, the Jazz might be playing for the 8th seed.
Bottom Line: Way too much youth and inexperience, plus bad depth to seriously consider them making the playoffs but I do not think they are as bad as they look on paper.
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