When a new season begins in the NBA, hope springs eternal across all 30 teams. Offseason additions and transactions finally get to take the court together and fans get to see the potential future of their favorite teams. After the arduous 82-game gauntlet of the regular season, fans and teams alike look back to see how they performed and whether or not they met expectations. Here’s a look at grades for each team in the Northwest Division based on preseason expectations. This division has been uber-competitive all season long, and as it stands each team stands to make strides towards contention(if they’re not there already).

Minnesota Timberwolves: A

It wasn’t a make-or-break year for the Timberwolves, but it was imperative that they take a step forward after a disappointing 2022-23 season. A new philosophy, in addition to the breakout year from Anthony Edwards has propelled the team up the standings. Much of their postseason success depends on whether or not Karl-Anthony Towns can be as impactful after his return from injury, but the regular season has been a smashing success. Their commitment to defense, anchored by Defensive Player of the Year hopeful Rudy Gobert, has been the most consistent strength of the team. The Wolves need to be careful though, that they don’t fall into the recent history of young successful teams in the NBA. If the Memphis Grizzlies are any indication, one would expect a bit of regression from this team next season. 

Denver Nuggets: A-

Another year, another quietly dominant year for the defending champs in the more competitive Western conference. At the All-Star break, the Nuggets were criticized for their apparent inconsistency and lack of depth. In the second half of the season, the team has silenced any naysayers with their play. Nikola Jokić is the favorite to walk away with his third MVP award and he has the Denver squad in a position to potentially wield home court advantage throughout the Western conference playoffs and maybe even the Finals themselves as long as they don’t run into the Boston Celtics. Jokić’s game projects very well into postseason play, and even when he has an off night, the Nuggets have two other young scoring options that they can turn to lead them down the stretch of close games. No team has more confidence heading into this year’s postseason, simply because they’ve been there and done that so many times. 

Oklahoma City Thunder: A+

The young and feisty Thunder are the surprise of the NBA this year and are a welcome change of pace when viewing how age plays in the NBA. The Thunder are one of the youngest teams in the league, but their record does not compare to their peers, like the Detroit Pistons or San Antonio Spurs. Led by the trio of Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, this year’s Thunder team has proven that they can hold their own against anyone in the NBA when they have their team healthy and intact. Their regular season has been far ahead of where they were projected at the beginning of the season, reminiscent of the 2011-2012 Thunder team that made it all the way to the Finals, where they fell to the Miami Heat. This year’s edition of Oklahoma City might not make it that far, but looking back at the season as a whole, there is almost nothing to be said negatively about it.

Utah Jazz: C

Ah, the Jazz. They have been the Western conference marker for mediocrity this year, and a lot of that comes down to their roster’s makeup. They have a mix of proven veterans (Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson) and young players with untapped potential (Walker Kessler and Keyonte George), but the front office needs to decide on a direction for the future. They still have time to sell high on their older players, but if they let go of Markkanen, they’d be in need of a top-tier scorer and leader to help them take the next step. Someone like the incoming Duke Blue Devil Cooper Flagg, who is the top prospect in next year’s draft class. Regardless of which direction the Jazz are going to take, anything would be better than being indecisive and being stuck in the 13th-11th seed in the conference. 

Portland Trail Blazers: C+

Even though the Blazers lost Damian Lillard in the offseason, they were able to get a lot in return for dishing their franchise to Milwaukee this summer. That being said, they still underperformed expectations when looking at how many veterans they fielded throughout this season. The trio of Malcolm Brogdon, Jerami Grant and DeAndre Ayton aren’t the best the NBA has to offer, but fans rightfully expected better than 25 wins for the team. However, when they come at the expense of their young players, the decision to play someone like Matisse Thybulle over 30 minutes a game for the majority of the season looks confusing to say the least. That being said, the future is bright, thanks to Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, both of whom showed signs of improvement that point to next year potentially being a turnaround if things break the right way for this team.