Division Preview

Introduction

Dubbed the �Division of Death '', the northwest division will, without a doubt, be the roughest, toughest, meanest division in the NSL. All five teams in the division will be gunning for a playoff spot this season with the stacked talent among them. The question remains is out of these 5, who will be the best? 

Team to beat: Portland.

Some might say that the Jazz are the best here with their big three, some might say it�s Denver with the absurd amount of shooting, maybe even Minny with its defensive three headed monster, but in the end, the team to beat is the same as always. Portland, the two time NSL champs will be once again the top, if not one of, teams everyone guns for this year. Portland made arguably the biggest, and most surprising, trade this offseason. Portland sent out perennial superstar and bucket getting Kevin �The Slim Reaper� Durant down south to their conference rival at the Staples Center in a three way trade that landed them not only a �butt-ton� of picks, but superstar point guard Damian �Dame Time� Lillard. JMac was also able to have a solid FA along with this deal, and the preseason showed that the new dynamic duo of James and Dame CAN work. Just gotta hope neither get hurt, otherwise this promising season could turn south. 

Key Storylines

Retool and Rebrand, is Embiid the man? - Utah had a facelift, got its nails done, some plastic surgery, and completely turned itself into a fearful contender in the blink of an eye. Having quietly built up assets over the last few years, Jase decided to unload the magazine on everyone and for, a brand new big three, big 4, big 5? Idk, there�s a lot of good players here. They went out and traded for star guard Dejounte Murray, Stretch Big man Julius Randle, and superstar foul merchant Joel Embiid. These 3, along with budding young players Franz Wagner, Josh Giddy, and top 3 pick Scoot Henderson, look to become the new face of the West this year. The Big Question? Can Joel be a true number one option? Back in Wash he was paired with star guard Devin Booker and star wing Paul George. Here in Utah, the argument can be made that no one besides Embiid are on the same level as those two. So will Embiid step up and prove he can lead a team to the promised land, or will he crash and burn. 

It was all a fever dream. - What do you mean Portland traded Dame? Come on man get up, we just sent home the thunder with a buzzer beater from Dame Time, it�s time to celebrate. Just kidding, however it is funny that Dame got traded from, then back to, Portland in such a short time. The Hawks are in full rebuild mode and decided to blow it up, which was all Portland's gains. In a three team deal, Portland sent out one star for another, moving on from KD, and in return getting back Dame and a plethora of assets, With Lebron getting a new running mate, and Portland bringing back a good majority, it�ll be fun to watch Portland's new duo try to recreate the previous teams magic this season and go for title numero tres. 

When lightning strikes, thunder follows. - The OKC Thunder had a solid season last year, making it as the 6th seed and making the playoffs. However after realizing that it was time make the leap, they did just that, making a flurry of trades and drastically improving, going and getting star PG Trae �Pube Hair� Young and stud Defensive wing Deandre Hunter, this OKC team is primed to compete with the �Division of Death.� With a ton of young talent and budding superstars in Ant Man, the Thunder are on the come up and have arguably the best outlook of any young team in the league. I even gotta say, on a personal bias, OKC is definitely one of my favorite teams this year. However one thing stands in their way, and it�s themselves. They have the talent to compete with the best, but with a bunch of new faces and a youth movement underway, they gotta hope that �Youth� and inexperience doesn�t come back and bite them in the ass. 

Shooter City still Striving? - Denver is arguably the best shooting team in the league. They have GTJ, MPJ, Klay, Bones, and oh yea, arguably the greatest PG of all time in Wardell Stephen Curry. Denver was on the quieter side this offseason, not really making big trades or big free agent signings, more focusing on running it back and keeping its core together. However this could also be the last season this core is together, with Thompson due for an extension and Jalen Johnson having a breakout year, he�s due for a payday also. If Denver wants to keep its core of shooters together, they might have to look to make some moves this season to not only contend this season, but also for years to come. However the future is bright in Denver either way, Curry isn't slowing down anytime soon and they have a solid young core in case things go south for any reason. 

Is AD back? Or is it just more of his back. Minnesota, just like Utah, decided it was time to truly compete. After an in season trade landed them Jimmy Butler, they decided to sell off the rest of the treasure chest, trading away their two young stars, Ball and Barnes, along with Nanji and Horford with perennial defensive monster Anthony Davis coming back to pair with Jimmy �Emo kid� Butler and Jonas Valanciunas. The big question though? Can he stay healthy? AD has a history of injury issues, and hasn't played more than 57 games in a season since the 19/20 season. However, AD has looked dominant since his trade to Minny, with averages of 26-14-4 and 2 blocks per game in the preseason. Along with AD, Minny also went out and rebuilt the rest of their team, getting solid role players like DeAnthony Melton, DD and Looney, with a great big 3 and a solid supporting cast, Minny looks like it could be a real contender in the west this year, IF, IF AD can just stay healthy. 

Five Best Players.

1. Anthony Davis - Honestly speaking, the best player in this division could be one of several players. Lebron, Dame, Jimmy, Ant, Steph, Jesus Christ himself maybe?? But I chose AD because of his defensive presence and potential impact. He may not be the best to some, but he will make or break the Wolves season, as long as he can stay healthy, he will have a solid shot at some awards this year, and maybe giving Minny a deep playoff run. 

2. Stephen Curry - If AD is gonna be the most impactful, then Curry is gonna easily be the best overall. His gravity is crazy, and his shooting ability is well, GOAT level. Averaging near 38ppg and 7.5apg in the presason and opening the season with a 48 point detonation against Indy, expect Curry to be in the MVP debate for the majority of the season. 

3. Lebron James - Bron is Bron, the King, the Chosen One, Freight Train, the GOAT to some, Bron is Bron. He is always gonna be a top player in the league and has no signs of slowing down, however with a new running mate this year in Dame Time, he might have a bit more work on the defensive end this year, but also will have some of the play making weight taken off his shoulder. Expect Bron to make a run at NSL all defense. 

4. Joel Embiid - Joel is the best player in Utah, last year you could make the argument that in Washington Booker was on equal footing with Embiid. That is dead in Utah, Embiid is the clear cut best player on this team. With averages on 23-18 and 4 blocks a game in the preseason, expect Embiid to go toe ot toe with Anthony Davis for not only the Defensive Player of the Year, but also Most Valuable Player. 

5. Anthony Edwards - This one might be a bit controversial to some, Placing Ant over Dame, but Antman is coming into his own. WIth new running mate Trae Young next to him at the PG position, Antman may not be a massive scorer, but I wouldn�t be surprised if he�s one of the best defensive guards in the league, having to cover for young, who is statistically, one of the worse in the league on defense. Antman however is coming into his own, and in my opinion, will finish among the top 3 for Most improved. 

Sleeper

Jonas Valancuinas - Jonas is my sleeper pick, his job just got a whole lot easier with the acquisition of Anthony Davis. Before, Jonas was the brick wall that protected Minny for a long time, now he's got a monster next to him on a nightly basis. I wouldn�t be surprised in the slightest if his numbers and averages take a bit of a dip with a full season of Jimmy and AD, but I feel like his efficiency could go through the roof this season without having to deal with as much of the load on both ends of the floor. 

Breakout Player

Anthony Edwards - I know I know, I named him already as a top 5 player in the division, but Antman is really due for a breakout season. His irl counter is the star in Minny which will only boost his 2K ratings and stats. He is athletic, can shoot, score, defend, fix a flat tire, pay the bills, there�s nothing he can�t do. Edwards is young and hungry and ready to feed, you give this man the ball and just watch the magic happen. 

Most Impactful Newcomer

Damian Lillard - This one might be the easiest pick of this whole article. Dame is arguably a better fit next to Lebron James than KD ever was. He�s got more of a scoring punch, better shooter, playmaker and a deeper clutch gene. Dame is gonna space the floor more for Bron, allowing him to truck his way down the paint. Dame is gonna do wonders for this Portland offense and I believe ends up taking them on another deep playoff run. 

Prediction

Portland/Utah/Minny +50 wins (One of them may hit 60).

OKC/Denver +40 wins (Both could hit 50).

This division is rightfully dubbed the �Division of Death.� With the amount of talent among these 5 teams, you could have all All Stars for the west come from them and no one would be surprised. I expect all 5 of these teams to make the playoffs, at least one or two to maybe hit 60 wins, and it wouldn't be surprising if these 5 teams were ranked 1-5 in the west standings come playoff time. And if a western team wins the chip this year again? Don�t be surprised in the slightest if they come from this division.