2016/17 NBA Over/Unders: Northwest Division
The 2016/17 NBA regular season will get underway in just over a week, which means it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign. With the help of the lines from offshore betting site Bovada.lv, we’re going to run through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division, and have you weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic. Having looked at the Atlantic division last Friday, we’re moving on to the Northwest today…
Utah Jazz
- 2015/16 record: 40-42
- Over/under for 2016/17: 49 wins
- Offseason in review: Added George Hill, Joe Johnson, Boris Diaw. Lost Trevor Booker, Trey Burke, Tibor Pleiss.
(App users, click here for Jazz poll)
Portland Trail Blazers
- 2015/16 record: 44-38
- Over/under for 2016/17: 45.5 wins
- Offseason in review: Added Evan Turner, Festus Ezeli. Lost Gerald Henderson, Brian Roberts, Chris Kaman.
(App users, click here for Trail Blazers poll)
Oklahoma City Thunder
- 2015/16 record: 55-27
- Over/under for 2016/17: 43.5 wins
- Offseason in review: Added Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, Ersan Ilyasova, Alex Abrines, Ronnie Price, Joffrey Lauvergne. Lost Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, Dion Waiters, Randy Foye.
(App users, click here for Thunder poll)
Minnesota Timberwolves
- 2015/16 record: 29-53
- Over/under for 2016/17: 40.5 wins
- Offseason in review: Added Kris Dunn, Cole Aldrich, Jordan Hill, Brandon Rush. Lost Kevin Garnett, Tayshaun Prince, Greg Smith.
(App users, click here for Timberwolves poll)
Denver Nuggets
- 2015/16 record: 33-49
- Over/under for 2016/17: 37 wins
- Offseason in review: Added Jamal Murray, Juan Hernangomez, Malik Beasley. Lost D.J. Augustin, Joffrey Lauvergne.
(App users, click here for Nuggets poll)
Previous voting results:
- Boston Celtics (52.5 wins): Under (54.59%)
- Toronto Raptors (50.5 wins): Over (54.63%)
- New York Knicks (38.5 wins): Over (71.41%)
- Philadelphia 76ers (23.5 wins): Under (54.62%)
- Brooklyn Nets (20.5 wins): Under (60.74%)
Pelicans Sign Quincy Ford
At a time when most NBA teams are waiving players from their roster, the Pelicans have announced a signing. According to a team release, New Orleans has signed Quincy Ford, who recently cleared waivers after being cut loose by the Jazz. The Pelicans are now back up to the maximum 20 players.
Ford, 23, signed his first NBA contract with the Jazz out of Northeastern back in September, receiving a $75K guarantee on a three-year pact with the team. Having played Summer League ball with Utah and spent training camp with them as well, the young forward appeared ticketed for the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz’s D-League affiliate. However, the Pelicans may have thrown a wrench in that plan.
Still, the Pelicans don’t have a D-League affiliate of their own, so if they want to keep Ford under team control, they’ll have to include him on their 15-man regular season roster. New Orleans already has 15 guaranteed salaries on its books for 2016/17, and that doesn’t even include Lance Stephenson, who has a partial guarantee — it would be a surprise if Ford makes the cut.
Poll: Northwest Division Winner
The TrailBlazers are the favorites to win the Northwest division this season, but it’s far from a certain outcome. Just a year ago, Portland was expected to be a lottery team after losing four starters, but the team overachieved, winning 44 games and beating an injury-riddled Clippers squad in the playoffs en route to a second round playoff series loss to the Warriors. Portland aggressively pursued high-priced, impact players in free agency and ended up adding Evan Turner on an expensive, four year, $70MM deal. Turner is a perplexing addition for a team that already had wing depth, but his presence should provide insurance of sorts in case of an injury. Turner will also give the team more flexibility with its line-up decisions, as Arthur Hill of Hoops Rumors writes in the team’s Offseason In Review. The Blazers’ depth should keep them from sliding too far down the standings, but they remain a strong candidate to regress.
The Thunder had the worst offseason of any team, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors details in the team’s Offseason In Review. Losing Kevin Durant hurts, but Oklahoma City’s roster is not barren. This team can easily go 10-12 players deep on most nights and Russell Westbrook shifting from running-mate to Commander In Chief with a solid supporting cast should be not only fun to watch, but also enough to keep the team in contention for the division crown.
The Wolves arguably have the best young core in all of basketball. They appear to be a year or two away from making major noise in the conference, as I discussed in the team’s Offseason In Review. However, coach/executive Tom Thibodeau is going to get the most out of this roster and if Kris Dunn is able to hit the ground running, Minnesota could exceed expectations.
Denver lurks as a potential playoff team this season. The Nuggets’ success hinges on Emmanuel Mudiay taking the next step and proving he can be a franchise point guard. The franchise is likely a season away from reaching its playoff goal, as Scarito writes in the team’s Offseason In Review. Nevertheless, this team will be frisky on a nightly basis with its depth giving opposing teams trouble.
The Jazz are in position to take a major step forward. The addition of George Hill is an underrated move and his presence, along with 35-year-old Joe Johnson and 34-year-old Boris Diaw, will provide this team with veteran leadership, as Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors notes in the team’s Offseason in Review. The Jazz have the talent to compete with any team in the league and they are my personal pick to win this division. Despite the injury to Gordon Hayward, I envision this team winning over 50 games and earning a top-4 seed in the Western Conference.
Do you think the Jazz will be atop this division at the end of the season or will another team take home the crown? Don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say!
New Additions May Need Time To Adjust
- The Jazz may need time to adjust to roster changes and the return of Dante Exum from injury, warns Dustin Jensen of The Deseret News. Utah traded for George Hill and Boris Diaw, signed free agent Joe Johnson and welcomed back Dante Exum after a year away with a torn ACL. Add in the emergence of second-year forward Trey Lyles and the Jazz may need time to develop chemistry.
Quincy Ford To Join Jazz D-League Affiliate
- Quincy Ford, who was waived by the Jazz on Thursday, will join the team’s D-League squad as an affiliate player, Chris Reichert of Upside and Motor reports (via Twitter).
Gobert A Top Extension Candidate; Jazz Won't Add Fill-In For Hayward
According to Stein, Jazz center Rudy Gobert is viewed as the most likely candidate to be extended this month — Utah wants to lock up both Gobert and Derrick Favors to long-term deals, recognizing that securing those players could help convince Gordon Hayward to re-sign next summer. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Pistons), Gorgui Dieng (Timberwolves), and Shabazz Muhammad (Timberwolves) are also in play for potential extensions, says Stein.
- The Jazz don’t appear inclined to add anyone to their roster as a temporary fill-in while Gordon Hayward’s broken finger heals, Stein writes.
Jazz Waive Eric Dawson, Quincy Ford, Marcus Paige
The Jazz have begun paring down their roster in advance of the regular season, announcing today in a press release that Eric Dawson, Quincy Ford, and Marcus Paige have been placed on waivers. The team’s roster now stands at 17 players, so two more cuts will be necessary before opening night.
[RELATED: Offseason In Review: Utah Jazz]
Dawson and Ford both signed free agent contracts with the Jazz this offseason, but were always viewed as long shots to make the club’s regular-season roster. While Dawson’s deal was fully non-guaranteed, Ford got a modest $75K guarantee, which will remain on Utah’s cap unless he’s claimed on waivers.
As for Paige, the rookie guard was the 55th overall pick in this year’s draft, and received a $125K guarantee from the Jazz. By waiving him, the team forfeits its NBA rights to Paige, so he’ll be free to join another NBA team if he clears waivers. If he goes unclaimed and unsigned, the 23-year-old is probably a good bet to join the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s D-League affiliate.
The Jazz now have 14 players on fully guaranteed salaries, plus Henry Sims on a partially guaranteed deal ($75K) and Chris Johnson and Jeff Withey on non-guaranteed pacts. Withey is expected to earn the club’s final roster opening.
Celtics Continue To Have "Real Interest" In Hayward
- The Celtics continue to have “real interest” in Gordon Hayward, multiple league sources tell Lowe. However, the ESPN scribe thinks Hayward will ultimately decided to re-sign with the Jazz next summer.
[SOURCE LINK]
Western Notes: Stephenson, Kings, Cousins
Lance Stephenson has an edge over Alonzo Gee for a roster spot on the Pelicans because of his versatility, John Reid of The Times-Picayune opines. Stephenson’s ability to play point guard will be especially useful with Jrue Holiday set to miss significant time. Reid also added that he wouldn’t be surprised if New Orleans ends up trading Gee.
Here’s more from around the league:
- New Kings head coach Dave Joerger aims to change the culture in Sacramento, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. “I think it’s what we hope to have on a nightly basis,” Joerger said. “A mindset of being physical, being active. Flying around, being a good teammate, each guy up and down the line and helping each other.”
- The Kings signed Matt Barnes this offseason and DeMarcus Cousins is happy to have the veteran on his team, Jones adds in the same piece. “He’s a true competitor,” Cousins said. “He leaves it all out there on the floor. I think he’s a great role model for the younger guys on how to approach a game on a nightly basis.”
- Gordon Hayward will likely miss six weeks after injuring his left ring finger and Ryan McDonald of the Deseret News examines his absence from the court will impact the Jazz.
Gordon Hayward Injures Finger, Likely Out Six Weeks
5:17pm: Surgery is an option for Hayward, but no decision has been made yet, Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune reports in a series of tweets. Jones also adds that it’s Hayward’s left ring finger which is injured. The injury occurred when he got his hand caught inside a teammate’s jersey.
4:37pm: Gordon Hayward has suffered a finger injury expected to keep him out of action for a little while, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.com, who tweets that Hayward dislocated a finger on his left hand. Jody Genessy of The Deseret News adds some more details, reporting (via Twitter) that Hayward’s finger is broken in addition to being dislocated. Per Genessy, the Jazz forward is expected to miss six weeks and will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
[RELATED: Offseason In Review: Utah Jazz]
The injury is an unfortunate setback for Hayward and the Jazz, who have been viewed as a candidate to take a major step forward in 2016/17. While Utah didn’t make a huge splash in free agency this summer, the team added some veteran help by signing Joe Johnson and trading for George Hill and Boris Diaw. With the newcomers expected to complement an improving young core that includes Hayward, Derrick Favors, Rodney Hood, Rudy Gobert, Dante Exum, and others, the Jazz are widely viewed as a good bet to make the playoffs in the West.
Hayward’s injury shouldn’t seriously impact the Jazz’s odds of making the postseason, but if he’s sidelined for six weeks, he’ll miss some regular-season action. If Hayward is able to return to the court for the team exactly six weeks from today, he’d be back for Utah’s 14th game of the season.
A former ninth overall pick, Hayward was the Jazz’s leading scorer last season, setting a new career high with 19.7 PPG. The 26-year-old also chipped in 5.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, and 1.2 SPG, while making 1.8 three-pointers per contest.