The Northwest Division is regarded as the weakest division in the NBA. It consists of the professional basketball teams such as Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Seattle Supersonics, and Portland Trailblazers. During the 2006 season, only two teams from the Northwest Division had winning records, and they are the Utah Jazz and the Denver Nuggets.
One important thing to consider for the Utah Jazz team is their roster of young and energetic players, plus the leadership contributed by the savvy veteran Derek Fisher. The Jazz team is headed by Coach Jerry Sloan who is a veteran coach with extensive playoffs experience. In the 1990s, the Jazz had come close to a conference title with the combination of John Stockton and Karl Malone.
The Denver Nuggets had just fired the team’s general manager Kiki Vanderwehe. Because of this event, head coach George Karl was given absolute authority and power to manage the team alone, which is quite a formidable task. With the inclusion of Allen Iverson, the Nuggets suddenly have a shot at the conference title. And it is a matter of time before the Nuggets find their game and threaten the great basketball teams of the West.
From last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves had found a charismatic and promising coach in Dwayne Casey. The Timberwolves roster is made up of very talented and youthful players, including point guard Mike James and superstar forward Kevin Garnett. However, the Timberwolves still have a lot to prove before they can be taken seriously as a title contender.
The Seattle Sonics are a team with minimal experience, but they have a lot of talented players. Bob Hill, the head coach of the team, sees to it that the players give their all for every game. The team’s shooting guard Ray Allen has the capacity to score more than 20 points a game, even if he is double-teamed. Together with the other young players, the Sonics may well pull a surprise or two next season.
Portland Trailblazers have made major changes to the team, adding several talented but inexperienced players. The team’s head coach Nate McMillan is a respected teacher who has an admirable understanding for all aspects of the game. He concluded that the team is not capable of winning too many games this season, but the players can improve and increase the total number of wins every playoff season.
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