The best division in basketball? Records don’t lie.
Four of the five teams in the Northwest Division earned a playoff spot, with the Denver Nuggets being the only team to fall short. Oh yeah, the Nuggets still finished with a 46-36 record.
Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Karl-Anthony Towns, CJ McCollum, Donovan Mitchell, Nikola Jokic and Rudy Gobert are just some of the stars in the division, which promises to be another competitive year to say the least.
Let’s take a closer look at what the Kings have to watch for heading into this season.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers are coming off a 49-33 season that saw them finish third in the Western Conference. They got swept in first round by the New Orleans Pelicans, but Portland remains a playoff contender.
With the dynamic backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, the Blazers will continue to be a tough team night in and night out. They re-signed big man Jusuf Nurkic, and helped their bench with the addition of Seth Curry.
The Kings finished 1-3 against the Blazers, with their lone win coming in their first matchup in November by a score of 86-82. Lillard also finished with 50 points in their February matchup at Golden 1 Center.
With both teams possessing formidable talent in the backcourt, each matchup promises to be a back-and-forth, highly entertaining affair.
2018-19 matchups vs Blazers
1/1/19 vs Portland
1/14/19 vs Portland
4/10/19 @ Portland
Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is a perennial playoff threat with championship aspirations, largely due to its former MVP Russell Westbrook the recently re-signed swingman Paul George.
After the recent departure of Carmelo Anthony, the Thunder will start the new season with largely the same lineup that has gotten them to this point. Not to mention Steven Adams will also be in the paint grabbing boards and creating havoc.
Last season, the Kings dueled with the Thunder in all four matchups, holding a 1-3 record year. But, all four games were decided by 10 points or less, including a heroic deep back from Westbrook that won them the game in Sacramento.
Another exciting backcourt matchup, Fox vs. Westbrook promises to deliver fireworks again this season, as both teams have a knack for taking games down to the wire.
2018-19 matchups vs Thunder
10/21/18 @ Oklahoma City
11/19/18 vs Oklahoma City
12/19/18 vs Oklahoma City
2/23/19 @ Oklahoma City
Utah Jazz
Cinderella stories hold true in any sport, and last season the Utah Jazz qualified as that very squad.
After losing Gordon Hayward to the Boston Celtics, the Jazz weren’t expected to keep up the pace they had with the All-Star forward. But, it was rookie Donovan Mitchell and Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert who kept the Jazz in the hunt.
Quin Snyder’s team finished with a 48-34 record, as they defeated the Kings in every matchup last season. The Fox vs. Mitchell matchup is one we’ll be watching for years, and last year the battle between top rookie guards didn’t disappoint.
After re-signing Dante Exum and Derrick Favors, the Jazz drafted Marvin Bagley III’s former Duke teammate, Grayson Allen, which will only heighten the anticipation between team that already know each other very well.
2018-19 matchups vs Jazz
10/17/18 vs Utah
11/21/18 @ Utah
11/25/18 vs Utah
4/5/19 @ Utah
Minnesota Timberwolves
After adding Jimmy Butler to the core of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, the T-Wolves successfully ended a 14-year playoff drought.
The energy in Minnesota was palpable, and even though they lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round, Tom Thibodeau’s squad is once again projected to be in the hunt.
The T-Wolves also re-signed former MVP Derrick Rose and brought back veteran Anthony Tolliver to bolster the team depth. They did, however, lose sharpshooting forward Nemenja Bjelica to the Kings, but remain highly competitive on both ends under Thibs.
The Kings failed to beat the T-Wolves last season, finishing 0-3 against the newest playoff team.
2018-19 matchups vs T-Wolves
11/9/18 vs Minnesota
12/12/18 vs Minnesota
12/17/18 @ Minnesota
2/25/19 @ Minnesota
Denver Nuggets
Even after finishing 46-36, the Nuggets failed to make the playoffs in the stacked Western Conference. It came down to the final night of the regular season, but Mike Malone’s team was on the outside looking in.
The Nuggets had a busy offseason, signing star big man Nikola Jokic to a maximum contract extension, re-signing Will Barton, signing Isaiah Thomas and drafting Michael Porter Jr.
Sacramento finished the year with a 1-3 record against Denver, with their lone win being at Golden 1 Center. The Nuggets had the best season their franchise has seen since the 2012-13 season that saw them finish 57-25.
With a plethora of young, exciting talent on both teams, this season’s matchups promise to keep fans and basketball heads engaged throughout.
2018-19 matchups vs Nuggets
10/23/18 @ Denver
1/3/19 vs Denver
2/13/19 @ Denver