NBA Season Thoughts: Northwest Division

I'm back with some thoughts on the NBA season.  Its been a while since I posted. I've been busy with work over winter break and getting back and acclimated to school. Anyways I'm back with some thoughts on the Northwest Division.

• Portland Trail Blazers (31-13)- The Trail Blazers are the cream of the crop of this division with the Thunder struggling with injuries this year. The dynamic duo of Aldridge and Lillard continues to lead this team to the top of the division. A quality season from veteran role players, Wes Matthews and Nicholas Batum, has kept them steady throughout the season. As long as the team plays above average basketball, there is no reason why they shouldn't this division and make some waves in the playoffs.
• Oklahoma City Thunder (22-21)- It's been a rough time for Thunder. When you are missing two of the top ten players in the league for significant amounts of time, this can happen. With Durant and Westbrook back, the team continues to fight for a lower seed in the playoffs. The team seems to be in a battle with the Suns for that 8 seed. I think the Thunder will pull it off and good luck to whatever team gets them in the first round. That would be the best 8 seed of all time so it would be a tall task to beat them.
• Denver Nuggets (18-25)- This is where the division takes a nosedive. The Denver Nuggets are a talented team on the surface. They have quality players like Kenneth Faried and Ty Lawson, along with role guys like Aaron Affalo. Unfortunately their lack if depth makes them struggle in the West. In the East, this is a playoff team. In the West, they aren't even close.
• Utah Jazz (15-28)- There is hope in Utah for better days on the hard court. There is a good young nucleus there. Led by young guys like Gordon Heyward, Derrick Favors, and Trey Burke, the future looks bright. The time is not now though. In the loaded West, there is little hope that this team will even sniff the playoffs for a couple seasons.
• Minnesota Timberwolves (7-35)- Jahil Okafor is the main thing on this teams mind at the moment. Minnesota fans are clamoring for that day in June when they have a chance to draft a game-changer to lead the franchise to prominence it hasn't seen since KG suited up for them. Let's hope the lottery balls bounce their way. Besides Andrew Wiggins, I see no reason to care about this team for the rest of the season.

The Pacific Division is next!!!!