Denver Nuggets lead overlooked NW Division
The makeup of the NBA's Northwest Division has changed with a couple of teams relocating in recent years. One thing that hasn't changed however is the division continues to be overlooked and undervalued in the grand scheme of betting. Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets currently sit atop the quintet, but find three teams breathing down their necks with Portland, Oklahoma City and Utah all within three games of the lead.
Only in the NBA could the beautiful Pacific Northwest be treated like scorched earth.
Both the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Seattle SuperSonics were uprooted and moved to less-established basketball markets over the past decade, alienating local fans in the process. Steve Francis rolled his eyes when Vancouver drafted him second overall in 1999.
But hey, Francis eventually got to play for Isiah Thomas and the New York Knicks instead, and they all lived happily ever after.
Today, the Northwest Division (born during the 2004 re-alignment) contains five cities that aren’t exactly prime destinations for most NBA players. But their loss can be your gain: East Coast bias gives this overlooked quintet its value against the betting odds, especially for games that tip off late at night in the Eastern Time Zone. Let’s take the grand tour.
Denver Nuggets (23-14 SU, 17-19-1 ATS)
The Nuggets are the defending Northwest champions and owners of the best player in the division, swingman Carmelo Anthony. He’s enjoying the best season of his seven-year career with 32.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per 40 minutes.
This is also Denver’s first full season with point guard Chauncey Billups (22.1 points, 7.0 assists/40), formerly a champion with the Detroit Pistons and one of the more recognizable players in the NBA. The 'under' is 21-16 as the team runs a less torrid pace (down from about 103 possessions per game to 98) with Billups handling the ball.
Portland Trail Blazers (23-16 SU, 19-19-1 ATS)
The Blazers were one of last year’s big money teams at 54-28 SU (tied with Denver) and 45-36 ATS, making their return to the playoffs after a five-year absence. GM Kevin Pritchard had his squad poised to make the leap to title contender, but center Greg Oden (18.6 points, 14.2 rebounds/40), the No. 1 draft pick in 2007, was lost for the season with a fractured left kneecap.
Then backup center Joel Przybilla (7.2 points, 14.0 rebounds/40) promptly joined Oden in the infirmary with a ruptured patella tendon. Portland is 5-4 SU and 4-5 ATS with veteran Juwan Howard (14.7 points, 6.4 rebounds/40) as the main man in the middle.
Oklahoma City Thunder (20-16 SU, 21-15 ATS)
The displaced Sonics drafted Kevin Durant one spot behind Oden and are thankful to have him. Durant is already an MVP-quality player with 28.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per 40 minutes, playing at small forward under Scotty Brooks in his first full year as head coach.
There’s a ton of young talent surrounding Durant, including last year’s No. 3 overall pick, shooting guard James Harden (17.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists/40) from Arizona. And the relative lack of Oklahoma City nightlife has had a positive effect on team bonding.
Utah Jazz (20-17 SU, 21-16 ATS)
At least Oklahoma City has something resembling nightlife. It takes a special kind of player to thrive in Salt Lake City, and the Jazz have figured out a system that’s produced 17 playoff appearances in 20 full seasons under coach Jerry Sloan.
Utah boasts a pair of Team USA gold-medal winners in point guard Deron Williams (20.5 points, 10.2 assists/40) and power forward Carlos Boozer (21.8 points, 12.0 rebounds/40) with a host of complementary players and almost no controversy. Check out their 13-6 SU and 12-7 ATS record at EnergySolutions Arena, formerly the Delta Center.
Minnesota Timberwolves (8-30 SU, 18-20 ATS)
These are the outliers in the Northwest, both in terms of geography and talent. The Wolves are still digging themselves out of the hole ex-GM Kevin McHale created – he cost the team five first-round picks by signing Joe Smith to an improper contract in 2000.
But the problems continue even with David Kahn taking over control as president of basketball operations. This year’s No. 5 pick, point guard Ricky Rubio, elected to stay in Spain, and No. 18 overall pick Ty Lawson was traded to Denver and has excelled in a reserve role. The Wolves and Nuggets meet at the Pepsi Center Monday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern
The makeup of the NBA's Northwest Division has changed with a couple of teams relocating in recent years. One thing that hasn't changed however is the division continues to be overlooked and undervalued in the grand scheme of betting. Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets currently sit atop the quintet, but find three teams breathing down their necks with Portland, Oklahoma City and Utah all within three games of the lead.
Only in the NBA could the beautiful Pacific Northwest be treated like scorched earth.
Both the Vancouver Grizzlies and the Seattle SuperSonics were uprooted and moved to less-established basketball markets over the past decade, alienating local fans in the process. Steve Francis rolled his eyes when Vancouver drafted him second overall in 1999.
But hey, Francis eventually got to play for Isiah Thomas and the New York Knicks instead, and they all lived happily ever after.
Today, the Northwest Division (born during the 2004 re-alignment) contains five cities that aren’t exactly prime destinations for most NBA players. But their loss can be your gain: East Coast bias gives this overlooked quintet its value against the betting odds, especially for games that tip off late at night in the Eastern Time Zone. Let’s take the grand tour.
Denver Nuggets (23-14 SU, 17-19-1 ATS)
The Nuggets are the defending Northwest champions and owners of the best player in the division, swingman Carmelo Anthony. He’s enjoying the best season of his seven-year career with 32.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per 40 minutes.
This is also Denver’s first full season with point guard Chauncey Billups (22.1 points, 7.0 assists/40), formerly a champion with the Detroit Pistons and one of the more recognizable players in the NBA. The 'under' is 21-16 as the team runs a less torrid pace (down from about 103 possessions per game to 98) with Billups handling the ball.
Portland Trail Blazers (23-16 SU, 19-19-1 ATS)
The Blazers were one of last year’s big money teams at 54-28 SU (tied with Denver) and 45-36 ATS, making their return to the playoffs after a five-year absence. GM Kevin Pritchard had his squad poised to make the leap to title contender, but center Greg Oden (18.6 points, 14.2 rebounds/40), the No. 1 draft pick in 2007, was lost for the season with a fractured left kneecap.
Then backup center Joel Przybilla (7.2 points, 14.0 rebounds/40) promptly joined Oden in the infirmary with a ruptured patella tendon. Portland is 5-4 SU and 4-5 ATS with veteran Juwan Howard (14.7 points, 6.4 rebounds/40) as the main man in the middle.
Oklahoma City Thunder (20-16 SU, 21-15 ATS)
The displaced Sonics drafted Kevin Durant one spot behind Oden and are thankful to have him. Durant is already an MVP-quality player with 28.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per 40 minutes, playing at small forward under Scotty Brooks in his first full year as head coach.
There’s a ton of young talent surrounding Durant, including last year’s No. 3 overall pick, shooting guard James Harden (17.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists/40) from Arizona. And the relative lack of Oklahoma City nightlife has had a positive effect on team bonding.
Utah Jazz (20-17 SU, 21-16 ATS)
At least Oklahoma City has something resembling nightlife. It takes a special kind of player to thrive in Salt Lake City, and the Jazz have figured out a system that’s produced 17 playoff appearances in 20 full seasons under coach Jerry Sloan.
Utah boasts a pair of Team USA gold-medal winners in point guard Deron Williams (20.5 points, 10.2 assists/40) and power forward Carlos Boozer (21.8 points, 12.0 rebounds/40) with a host of complementary players and almost no controversy. Check out their 13-6 SU and 12-7 ATS record at EnergySolutions Arena, formerly the Delta Center.
Minnesota Timberwolves (8-30 SU, 18-20 ATS)
These are the outliers in the Northwest, both in terms of geography and talent. The Wolves are still digging themselves out of the hole ex-GM Kevin McHale created – he cost the team five first-round picks by signing Joe Smith to an improper contract in 2000.
But the problems continue even with David Kahn taking over control as president of basketball operations. This year’s No. 5 pick, point guard Ricky Rubio, elected to stay in Spain, and No. 18 overall pick Ty Lawson was traded to Denver and has excelled in a reserve role. The Wolves and Nuggets meet at the Pepsi Center Monday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern
