The Stat That Defines Each Team in the Northwest Division (Copy)
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What do the numbers say about each team in the Northwest Division? We looked for the defining stats so far.
As the NBA season approaches its halfway point, it’s time to take a step back and observe the big picture. One of the first things that becomes evident is that the top three teams in the Western Conference all reside in the same division. Most expected the defending champion Denver Nuggets to be at the top barring an injury to Nikola Jokić, but the surging Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder have shocked fans across the country. Even the Utah Jazz are putting together a decent year, hovering around the .500 mark. Let’s take a look at the numbers(or one number in particular) that helps to explain each team’s performance so far.
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Minnesota Timberwolves
39.2% Opponent Field Goal Percentage
When the Timberwolves traded five draft picks and five players to the Utah Jazz for three-time defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert back in the summer of 2022, it was predicted that the defense would soar and the offense would suffer as a result. In their first full season together, Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns struggled to coexist on the offensive end and the defense didn’t take as big of a leap. This year, however, things have gone much better, with Gobert anchoring one of the top defenses in the league and providing top-tier rim protection. It will be intriguing to see how teams handle Gobert in the playoffs, but for now the Timberwolves have hit their stride.
Image from CBS Sports
Oklahoma City Thunder
6.4 Blocks Per Game
The Thunder were a team with a lot of spunk last season, but nobody really took them seriously, primarily because they allowed a lot of offensive rebounds and a lot of points in the paint to their opponents. Their interior defense struggled because of their lack of size and shot-blocking capabilities and they went into the offseason looking to improve in that area. Enter one Chet Holmgren, whose 2.5 blocks per game lead the team and has them in the top five in the NBA in defense. His length deters drivers from approaching the rim and the fact that he makes them readjust their shots gives his teammates better opportunities to block shots from behind. Holmgren has been the defensive anchor that the Thunder hoped he would be when they drafted him #2 overall back in 2022.
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Denver Nuggets
29.7 Assists Per Game
When the San Antonio Spurs and later on, the Golden State Warriors, were at the peak of their powers, they tore their opponents apart with excellent player and ball movement. The Nuggets are the newest edition of that idea and are led into their Whirling Dervish playstyle by Jokić, who leads the team with 9.3 assists per game. It hasn’t been just Jokić though, with Jamal Murray contributing 6.4 a game and backup point guard Reggie Jackson putting up 4.3 on a nightly basis. Elite playoff teams are built on star power and unselfish play, and the Denver Nuggets have both.
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Utah Jazz
15.4 Turnovers Per Game
The Utah Jazz are a younger team, and it shows with this statistic. Their guards have tried to run the team’s offense effectively and find top scorers Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson, but their inexperience has led them to give the ball up more than every other team save the lowly Pistons. While this stat is a bad mark, the fact that the Jazz find themselves at .500 and square in the middle of the play-in pack in the Western Conference is a statement about the team’s defense and resilience.
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Portland Trail Blazers
43.1% Field Goal Percentage
Rookies in the NBA, especially guards, struggle with their field goal percentage in their first full season in the league and Blazers rookie Scoot Henderson is no exception. 36% from the field and 30% from three point territory are signs of his struggles to adjust to NBA speed. However, his freakish athleticism and the fact that he is averaging around five assists per game are signs that in the future he could be a problem for other teams. If he continues to develop his shooting, the Blazers could be in for a shorter rebuild than they thought.
