NBA 2013-14 Season Preview – Northwest Division: With Russell Westbrook Out, Can Kevin Durant's Thunder Repeat as Division Champs?

The Oklahoma City Thunder will look to repeat as Northwest Division champions but will have to do so without PG Russell Westbrook to start off the 2013-14 NBA season, with Westbrook undergoing his second knee surgery since tearing his meniscus in his right knee last season. The Thunder will have to with a Denver Nuggets team looking to build on their 57-win season last year as well as a scrappy Minnesota Timberwolves, with their dynamic duo of Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love for the division crown.

Oklahoma City Thunder
Last Season: 60-22, first seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, eliminated in the second round by the Memphis Grizzlies 4-1

Projected Starting Five: PG Reggie Jackson (5.2 ppg, 1.7 apg, 2.4 rpg), SG Thabo Sefolosha (7.6 ppg, 1.5 apg, 3.9 rpg), SF Kevin Durant (28.1 ppg, 4.6 apg, 7.9 rpg), PF Serge Ibaka (13.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.0 bpg), C Kendrick Perkins (4.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.1 bpg)

Additions: Ryan Gomes, Steven Adams (No. 12 in the 2013 draft), Andre Roberson (No. 26), Grant Jerrett (No. 40)

Losses: Kevin Martin, Ronnie Brewer

Head Coach: Scott Brooks - fifth year coach with the Thunder

Despite losing PG Russell Westbrook for the first four-to-six weeks of the regular season due to knee surgery and losing PG Kevin Martin to free agency, the Thunder can still run away with the Northwest Division with the healthy pieces that are in place for coach Scott Brooks.

The Thunder will be more dependent on perennial All-Star SF Kevin Durant, who will have to be as much a ball facilitator for the offense as well as its main weapon. PF Serge Ibaka, a huge presence on the defensive end for the Thunder, will also have to step up his offense in order to help Durant with scoring duties with Westbrook gone from the lineup. The Thunder are hoping that PG Reggie Jackson can perform as well in the regular season as he did in the postseason last year while he takes over the starting point guard position for Westbrook recovers.

Minnesota Timberwolves
Last Season: 31-51, failed to make the playoffs

Projected Starting Five: PG Ricky Rubio (10.7 ppg, 7.3 apg, 4.0 rpg), SG Kevin Martin (14.0 ppg, 1.4 apg, 2.3 rpg), SF Corey Brewer (12.1 ppg, 1.5 apg, 2.9 rpg), PF Kevin Love (18.3 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 0.5 bpg), C Nikola Pekovic (16.3 ppg, 8.8 apg, 0.8 bpg)

Additions: Kevin Martin, Corey Brewer, Ronny Turiaf, Shabazz Muhammad (No. 14 in 2013 NBA draft), Gorgui Dieng (No. 21), Lorenzo Brown (No. 52)

Losses: Andrei Kirilenko, Luke Ridnour, Greg Stiemsma, Brandon Roy, Malcolm Lee, Mickael Gelabele

Former Minnesota coach Flip Saunders returned to the Timberwolves, this time as team president replacing David Kahn, and went to work right away, signing former Oklahoma City Thunder PG Kevin Martin and former Denver Nugget SF Corey Brewer during the off-season free agency period, in an attempt to get Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love the necessary pieces to make their first playoff appearance since 2004. Martin hopes to regain his scoring touch that he had as a member of the Houston Rockets under Rick Adelman, who currently coaches the Timberwolves.

The combination of Rubio and Love could make for an exciting duo, but staying healthy will be key for Minnesota, as both players went through injuries issues that prevented them from being the on-the-court together throughout stretches of the season last year. If fully recovered from his hand injury that hampered him last year, Love - a two time All-star who can put up double-double numbers on any given night - may be a sleeper in the race for the Most Valuable Player award.

Denver Nuggets
Last Season: 57-25, third seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, eliminated in the first round by the Golden State Warriors 4-2

Projected Starting Five: PG Ty Lawson (16.7 ppg, 6.9 apg, 2.7 rpg), SG Randy Foye (10.8 ppg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 rpg), SF Danilo Gallinari (16.2 ppg, 2.5 apg, 5.2 rpg), PF Kenneth Faried (11.5 ppg, 1.0 apg, 9.2 rpg), C JaVale McGee (9.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.0 bpg)

Additions: Randy Foye, J.J. Hickson, Nate Robinson, Darrell Arthur,

Losses: Andre Iguodala, Corey Brewer, Kosta Koufos, Julyan Stone

Head Coach: Brian Shaw - first year coach with the Nuggets

The Nuggets went through major changes this off-season, losing general manager Masai Ujiri - winner of the 2012-2103 NBA Executive of the Year award, who left to Toronto to take their vacant GM job - and parted ways with head coach 2012-2013 Coach of the Year George Karl after eight years with the team. Karl guided the team to a 57-25 last season, a franchise-best record, but was knocked out of the playoffs by the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference first round, marking the eighth time he was eliminated in the opening phase of the playoffs. The Nuggets replaced Ujiri and Karl with first-time GM Tim Connelly and Brian Shaw, an apprentice of former Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson who gets his first opportunity as a head coach in the league.

Replicating last season's regular season success will be very difficult having lost one of their best defenders, Andre Iguodala, to the Golden State Warriors via free agency, as well as waiting for SF Danilo Gallinari to recover from his arthroscopic procedure in June for a partially torn ACL; Gallinari is aiming to return to the lineup in late November.

Portland Trail Blazers
Last Season: 33-49, failed to make the playoffs

Projected Starting Five: PG Damian Lillard (19.0 ppg, 6.5 apg, 3.1 rpg), SG Wesley Matthews (14.8 ppg, 2.5 apg, 2.8 rpg), SF Nicolas Batum (14.3 ppg, 4.9 apg, 5.6 rpg), PF LaMarcus Aldridge (21.1 ppg, 9.1 rpg 1.2 bpg), C Robin Lopez (11.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.6 bpg)

Additions: Robin Lopez, Mo Williams, Dorell Wright, Thomas Robinson, CJ McCollum (No. 10 pick in 2013 draft), Allen Crabbe (No. 31), Earl Watson

Losses: J.J. Hickson, Eric Maynor, Sasha Pavlovic, Jared Jeffries, Nolan Smith

Head coach: Terry Stotts - second year coach with the Trail Blazers

The Blazers bolstered up their two biggest needs - depth on the bench and interior defense (Portland finished ranked 26th in defensive efficiency last season) - during the off-season, signing C Robin Lopez, formerly of the Phoenix Suns, and veterans PG Mo Williams and SF Dorell Wright. The Blazers also added youth to the bench by drafting G CJ McCollum out of Lehigh in the 2013 NBA Draft, a move some believe was a "steal" for Portland, though he will sit out the start of the season with a foot injury.

The Blazers will depend heavily on two-time All-Star PF LaMarcus Aldridge and 2013 Rookie of the Year award winner Damien Lillard to carry the team as their one-two punch on the offensive end while they hope to return to the playoffs after a two-year absence from the postseason.

Utah Jazz
Last Season: 43-39, failed to make the playoffs

Projected Starting Five: PG John Lucas III (5.3 ppg, 1.7 apg, 1.0 rpg), SG Gordon Heyward (14.1 ppg, 3.0 apg, 3.1 rpg), SF Richard Jefferson (3.1 ppg, 0.6 apg, 1.5 rpg), PF Derrick Favors (9.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.7 bpg), C Enes Kanter (7.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.5 bpg)

Additions: Trey Burke (No. 9 pick in 2013 draft), Rudy Gobert (No. 27), Brandon Rush, Richard Jefferson, Andris Biederins, John Lucas III, Ian Clark

Losses: Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Mo Williams, Randy Foye, DeMarre Carroll, Earl Watson, Kevin Murphy

Head Coach: Tyrone Corbin - third year with the Utah Jazz

It is hard to argue that the Jazz are not tanking in hopes of jostling for a better draft position for the talent-rich 2014 NBA Draft. Let's just call it a "rebuilding phase" instead of "tanking" games. Four out of five of the Jazz's top scorers left the team, with Utah making no real effort to replace their offensive presence.

The Jazz will depend on their young core of lottery picks in Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Gordon Hayward, and Alec Burks. Trey Burke, the No.9 overall draft pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, was expected to step right up and help in the starting lineup but broke his right index finger, requiring surgery and will be out to for an extended period to open up the season.