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Northwest Division: Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Utah Jazz.
Consisting of some of the most power-packed teams in the league, the Northwest division is the one to watch out for. Currently, the division consists of four teams (out of five in the division) who are slated to land a playoff spot by any means. With four of the Northwest teams being in the top six in the West, this bunch houses arguably, the most talented and competitive atmosphere across the league.
Accommodating megastars like Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Damian Lillard and Karl-Anthony Towns, there is always a looming possibility of a thrilling matchup when the above teams are in action.
Let's dive in and take a look at the current team standings on the Northwest Divison leaderboard.
#5 Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota haven't been at their best lately, as they currently reside at the 11th spot on the Western Conference standings. Having lost six of their last ten games, they are now four games out of the playoff picture and an insurmountable 12 games below their division leaders.
They host a miserable 4-6 (win-loss) record against the Northwest division as of this moment and are one of the six teams in the West with a sub .500 record. They are 27-30 (0.474) on the season and are 19th in the league when it comes to FG%, with a conversion rate of 45.2% from the field across 57 games played.
#4 Utah Jazz
Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz are sixth on the West leaderboard and fourth in the division with a 32-25 (0.561) win-loss record next to their name. They have not shown any improvement carrying over from the previous season, however, they will bag a comfortable playoff berth yet again.
Riding on an uber-talented sophomore, a former DPOY, and a veteran Spanish guard, Coach Snyder has never run into a lack of options. The Jazz hold the second best defensive rating (103.9) in the league, but hold a 5-6 (losing) record against teams in their division.
#3 Portland Trail Blazers
Shooting free-throws at the second-best conversion rate, the Trail Blazers are fourth on the West leaderboard behind OKC, Denver, and Golden State. Led by four-time All-Star Damian Lillard, Portland possess the fifth best offensive rating (113.2) in the league right now.
Their postseason showing hasn't been quite impressive over the past, but the team looks solid on both ends of the floor this time around, promising a deeper and more solid playoff campaign.
Terry Stotts' men carry a decent 34-23 (0.596) win-loss on the season, despite having the division-worst record (4-8) against Northwest teams.
#2 Oklahoma City Thunder
With Russell Westbrook averaging a triple-double (for the third straight season) and Paul George putting together a strong case for his MVP bid, the Thunder are locked in for gold this season.
Possessing the two league leaders in individual steals per game, the Thunder are 4th in defensive rating (105.9) and they have now won eight of their last ten matchups. Their emphatic two-way game this season has fetched them the third-best record (37-20) in the Western Conference.
Oklahoma lead the league in steals and are third in terms of rebounds secured per game.
#1 Denver Nuggets
Led by the All-Star Joker averaging 20.4 points and 10.6 rebounds a game, Denver have surged to grab the spotlight in the Western Conference, as they host the second-best record (39-18) behind Golden State on the West leaderboard. Although they lag a couple of games behind the Warriors, they are a dominant 7-1 against the teams in the Northwest division.
Having lost just four games at home this season so far, the Nuggets look a more complete unit than ever. Future All-Stars in Jamal Murray and Gary Harris have really been playing out of their skin, outscoring any opposition they have faced with grit and consistent effort.
Across the 56 games he has started for Denver, Nikola Jokic is averaging a career-high 7.7 assists, which is also the most by any center at the moment. Mike Malone has done a perfect job of running the offense through his crafty implementation, reaping benefits for the Nuggets all-season long.
