Kevin Pelton, SUPERSONICS.COM | Sep. 19, 2005

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In year one of the Northwest Division, the Seattle SuperSonics emerged as the division's best team, moving within a game of clinching the division title on April 1 and clinching it two weeks later. But though there was only a late hint of a race for the Northwest Championship, that doesn't mean there wasn't intrigue in the division from top to bottom as Denver, Minnesota and Portland all changed coaches and the Timberwolves and Utah battled injuries.

This season promises another fascinating race in the Northwest. The Timberwolves and Trail Blazers have both raided the Sonics sidelines for new coaches, while lottery picks in Minnesota, Portland and Utah look to help those teams regain their glory of the recent past.

With training camp now just two weeks away, SUPERSONICS.COM takes a look at the Sonics competition in the Northwest.

Denver Nuggets

2003-04 record: 49-33
Key Additions: G Julius Hodge, F Linas Kleiza, G Earl Watson
Key Losses: None
Starting Five: G Andre Miller, G ???, F Carmelo Anthony, F Kenyon Martin, C Marcus Camby

Earl Watson. Kent Horner/NBAE/Getty

2004-05/Summer: Denver went into the All-Star break (as the host) at 24-29 and with the 2004-05 season largely written off. With George Karl taking over on the sidelines, however, the Nuggets went on a tear down the stretch, winning 10 straight at one point and going a ridiculous 25-4 post-break to make the playoffs. The momentum continued through Game 1 of Denver's series against San Antonio, with the Nuggets pulling out a 93-87 victory on the road, but the eventual champions quickly ended any talk of an upset by winning the next four games by a total of 57 points. The Nuggets will likely bring back all of their key free agents (Greg Buckner remains on the market, but is expected to re-sign) and have added depth at shooting guard, their weakness a year ago when Voshon Lenard missed all but three games at the beginning and end of the year with a torn Achilles tendon. Not only is Lenard healthy, Denver drafted guard Julius Hodge from North Carolina State and signed free-agent point guard Earl Watson, a former Sonics player, away from the Memphis Grizzlies.

Outlook: The Nuggets boast one of the deepest rosters in the NBA after this off-season. They could send out a third-string lineup of Watson, Buckner, first-round pick Linas Kleiza and Francisco Elson, which would hold its own as a second-string lineup. It remains to be seen how Karl will manage minutes with Watson, Andre Miller and Earl Boykins at the point and four candidates for playing time at small forward. The depth makes Denver an obvious trade candidate; expect rumors to swirl about deals for a top-tier shooting guard through training camp and maybe all the way to the deadline. Karl has seen early success fade in the past, but if Miller (9.4 apg in April) and center Marcus Camby (third in Defensive Player of the Year voting) play as they did under Karl and third-year forward Carmelo Anthony progresses in his development, the Nuggets will be very dangerous.
Coming to KeyArena: Feb. 12, Apr. 19

Minnesota Timberwolves

2004-05 record: 44-38
Key Additions: G Marko Jaric, G Rashad McCants
Key Losses: G Sam Cassell, G Fred Hoiberg, F Latrell Sprewell
Starting Five: G Marko Jaric, G Trenton Hassell, F Wally Szczerbiak, F Kevin Garnett, C Michael Olowokandi

Dwane Casey. Jeff Reinking/NBAE/Getty

2004-05/Summer: Coming off the Western Conference's best record and a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2003-04, expectations were high in Minnesota. They quickly fizzled under the weight of injuries and bad chemistry. Sam Cassell missed 21 games and came off the bench in 21 others, and with Cassell not playing at an All-Star level and fellow 2003 pickup Latrell Sprewell also struggling, 2003-04 MVP Kevin Garnett had the weight of the Timberwolves offense on his shoulders. Minnesota was 25-26 when Vice President of Basketball Operations Kevin McHale replaced long-time Coach Flip Saunders with himself. The Timberwolves were slightly better under McHale, but they still finished a game out of the playoffs. Minnesota's first off-season move was to hire a new coach, long-time Sonics assistant Dwane Casey. Casey will have a similar group of players to coach, but the Timberwolves did make some changes over the off-season. They drafted scorer supreme Rashad McCants with the last pick of the lottery, then continued getting younger in the backcourt by sending Cassell to the L.A. Clippers for combo guard Marko Jaric. Sprewell wasn't invited back. Backup guard Fred Hoiberg, coming off a season where he led the NBA in 3-point percentage, will miss the season following heart surgery. The Timberwolves also took flyers on former lottery pick Nikoloz Tskitishvili and undrafted center Dwayne Jones out of St. Joe's.

Outlook: The challenge for the Timberwolves remains as it was before their trip to the West Finals - find quality supporting players to put around Garnett. Cassell fit the bill for one season before his age quickly caught up to him. Now, Minnesota tries with Jaric, who never played more than 66 games (or started more than 50) in three seasons with the Clippers but is very skilled. McCants can supply scoring punch off the bench, while re-signed big man Eddie Griffin spreads the floor with his shooting ability and is a defensive presence. As long as Garnett stays healthy, the Timberwolves will be contenders.
Coming to KeyArena: Nov. 4, Mar. 10

Portland Trail Blazers

2004-05 record: 27-55
Key Additions: G Juan Dixon, G Jarrett Jack, G Sergei Monia, G Martell Webster
Key Losses: F Shareef Abdur-Rahim, G Derek Anderson, G Damon Stoudamire, G Nick Van Exel
Starting Five: G Sebastian Telfair, G Dixon, F Darius Miles, F Zach Randolph, C Joel Przybilla

Martell Webster. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty

2004-05/Summer: Expected to be playoff contenders, the Blazers were .500 as late as New Year's Day. But Portland went 3-7 the rest of January, and the youth movement officially commenced shortly thereafter. Maurice Cheeks was fired on March 2, and Interim Coach Kevin Pritchard became the ninth coach of a Northwest Division team in 2004-05. The Blazers inserted prep rookie Sebastian Telfair into the starting lineup and gave heavy minutes to several other youngsters, finishing the season 5-22 under Pritchard. During the summer, Portland made a bold move to hire Nate McMillan as coach. He'll oversee a rebuilding process that added more talent this summer, notably UW commit Martell Webster, whom the Blazers made the sixth pick of the draft out of Seattle Prep. Webster is one of three rookie guards on the Portland roster; the Blazers also drafted Jarrett Jack out of Georgia Tech and brought over 2004 first-round pick Sergei Monia to join countryman Viktor Khryapa. On top of that, Portland signed free-agent guard Juan Dixon and is reportedly close to signing former Wizards teammate Steve Blake to an offer sheet, so McMillan may have a challenge finding minutes in the backcourt. On the way out of Portland? Veterans - Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Derek Anderson, Damon Stoudamire and Nick Van Exel. The youth movement is on in full force.

Outlook: The Blazers moves were not made with an eye to 2004-05. GM John Nash has tried to defuse any expectations, recently telling a Blazers radio show that it will be hard to win too many more than 20 games this season. The key task for McMillan, Nash, Pritchard and company is sorting out which of their young players are keepers and which will not fit long-term, as well as assessing the team's remaining needs. There's talent here, so a Portland run at the postseason certainly can't be ruled out.
Coming to KeyArena: Jan. 30, Apr. 2

Utah Jazz

2004-05 record: 26-56
Key Additions: G Devin Brown, C Greg Ostertag, G Milt Palacio, G Deron Williams
Key Losses: G Raja Bell, G Kirk Snyder
Starting Five: Williams, G Gordan Giricek, F Andrei Kirilenko, F Carlos Boozer, Ostertag

Deron Williams. Kent Horner/NBAE/Getty

2004-05/Summer: Before the season, I said, "The Jazz are young, and they're going to be good for a very long time." This looked good when Utah started 6-1, but the Jazz had already started slumping when All-Star forward Andrei Kirilenko went down with a knee injury that would sideline him for 26 games, of which the team won but six. Utah traded starting point guard Carlos Arroyo, reportedly thought about moving power forward Carlos Boozer and finished the season last in the Northwest Division. The one team in the Northwest that opens 2005-06 with the same coach (Jerry Sloan) as 2004-05, Utah sought a better mix of personnel this summer. The key acquisition was Illinois point guard Deron Williams, a fine distributor and solid defender who gives the Jazz the true point guard the team lacked last season. In free agent Milt Palacio, Utah added a defensive presence at the point. One of the more interesting moves of the off-season was Greg Ostertag's return to Utah in a multi-team trade. Like a divorced couple that reunites, Ostertag and Sloan only realized how good they were for each other when they were separated. In dealing for Ostertag, the Jazz also dealt a number of Sloan headaches. Utah was less happy to lose backup swingman Raja Bell to free agency, but replaced him with former Spurs reserve Devin Brown.

Outlook: Last year's Utah squad looked great on paper, but struggled on the court. There were two principle reasons for this - a lack of shot-blocking and lack of a point guard. Arroyo, so promising as a starter in 2003-04, quickly wore out his welcome, and the Jazz never adequately replaced him. If Williams catches on quickly, he'll be a dramatic upgrade. The combination of Boozer and center Mehmet Okur did not work defensively, forcing Okur to the bench. Ostertag is a much better fit alongside Boozer and provides an interior presence the Jazz - who had only small forward Kirilenko block more than one shot per game last season - previously lacked. The expectations have been toned down considerably, and this Utah squad looks much more likely to achieve them.
Coming to KeyArena: Nov. 22, Mar. 5