Northwest
G Ricky Rubio (10.6 ppg, T’wolves), G Rodney Hood (12.7), F Joe Ingles (7.1), F Derrick Favors (9.5), C Rudy Gobert (14.0). G/F Gordon Hayward, George Hill, F Boris Diaw.
The Jazz will be challenged to secure a second consecutive playoff berth. While the West got deeper, the Jazz lost their lone All-Star and top two scorers. They will remain one of the best defensive teams in the league with Gobert as the anchor, but scoring will be difficult.
47-35, lost in first round of playoffs. G Russell Westbrook (31.6 ppg), G Andre Roberson (6.6), F Paul George (23.7, Pacers), F Carmelo Anthony (22.4, Knicks), C Steven Adams (11.3). G Victor Oladipo, C Enes Kanter. George and Anthony will provide the scoring help Westbrook so desperately needed last season. Adams is an emerging force in the paint, and Raymond Felton and Patrick Patterson are critical additions. The Thunder are poised to challenge the Warriors.
41-41, lost in first round of playoffs. G Damian Lillard (27.0 ppg), G CJ McCollum (23.0), F Maurice Harkless (10.0), F Al-Farouq Aminu (8.7), C Jusuf Nurkic (15.2) G Allen Crabbe, G Tim Quarterman, C Festus Ezeli. The Blazers made few changes in the offseason, sticking with a nucleus of Lillard, McCollum and Nurkic, who joined the team via trade last season and helped fuel a push to the playoffs. The question is who will start with that trio at the beginning of the season.
40-42, missed playoffs. G Jamal Murray (9.9), G Gary Harris (14.9 ppg), F Wilson Chandler (15.7), F Paul Millsap (18.1, Hawks), C Nikola Jokic (16.7). F Danilo Gallinari. The Nuggets improved by seven games in 2016-17 but still missed the playoffs for a fourth straight season. Murray, Jameer Nelson and Emmanuel Mudiay are competing at point guard. If one can take command and the Nuggets improve on defense, they could become a playoff-caliber squad.
31-51, missed playoffs.
G Jeff Teague (15.3 ppg, Pacers), G Andrew Wiggins (23.6), F Jimmy Butler (23.9, Bulls), F Taj Gibson (10.8, Bulls/Thunder), C Karl-Anthony Towns (25.1).
G Ricky Rubio, G Zach LaVine, G Kris Dunn. Playoffs or bust, which sounds crazy for a team that has not made the postseason since 2004. The West is stacked, but coach Tom Thibodeau made the moves he did with the express purpose of ending the longest active playoff drought in the league. If the second unit can prevent huge drop-offs from what is expected to be a formidable starting five, the T’wolves should finally be able to remind their long-suffering fans that the season does not end in mid-April.