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Northwest Division Outlook: How will the Trail Blazers Finish?

By Derek Thurston

Apr 6, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) and Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (11) go after a loose ball during the fourth quarter of the game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Blazers won the game 120-115. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 6, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) and Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (11) go after a loose ball during the fourth quarter of the game at the Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The Blazers won the game 120-115. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports /
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Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0). Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0). Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports /

If Trail Blazers want to validate last season’s success and avoid regression, they must prove they are for real in one of the most competitive divisions in the NBA.

With pre-season in full swing, all eyes are looking towards the start of the upcoming season. If the Trail Blazers goal is to improve on their finish in last year’s playoffs, earning a top 4 seed in the West and home court in the first round will be imperative. While the new NBA playoff format does not guarantee home court for division winners (now based strictly on W-L record), winning the NW Division certainly must be a team goal. Doing so will put the Blazers in great position to earn a top-4 seed in the West.

The NW Division will prove to be one of the toughest divisions in the NBA. The Westgate Las Vegas Superbook has the Blazers (46.5 wins), Utah Jazz (47.5 wins), and Oklahoma City Thunder (45.5 wins) all projected to finish in the top 10 in W-L record this season. Not far behind are the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves (41.5 wins). With their new coach Tom Thibodeau, the young T-Wolves are looking to take the next step in their development this year and become a legitimate playoff contender.

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The loss of Kevin Durant surely will cause OKC to regress this year, but with Russell Westbrook shouldering more responsibility, he is out to prove he is an MVP caliber player. The Utah Jazz added key veterans to their roster and have a very balanced and dangerous team on paper. How their on-court chemistry develops this year will be key for their team’s success. The Blazers must look to prove that last season was not a fluke. Yes, the Blazers made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs last season, but to say that good fortune was not on their side would be naïve.

Experts are hedging their bets and predicting a small step back from the Blazers this year (some Vegas sports books have already moved the team’s projected win total down to 45.5). However, Damian Lillard and co. are more determined than ever to prove that this team is only getting better and are looking to stake their claim as legitimate contenders in the Western Conference.

We will now take a look at each of the top teams in the division and see how the Blazers stack up against them.