Utah Jazz

Lion Face: POWER FORWARD IS POWERFUL

The return of Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap leaves the Jazz absolutely stacked at the 4. They have four guys (Boozer, Millsap, Okur, Kirilenko) capable of producing at a high level from that position, which is four more guys than, say, the New Jersey Nets have. Having that consistency off the bench in the frontcourt is going to be a huge asset in the loaded West, even if it’s not quite enough to propel the Jazz to top tier status.

Lemon Face: Weakness in Strength

With those guys fighting for minutes at power forward, you’ve got the makings of an old fashioned throwdown. The fans in Utah have soured on Carlos Boozer, and I’m fairly certain he’s soured on the situation. Paul Millsap has done nothing wrong aside from succeed with what little has been given to him, and yet his hard earned PT is being spoon fed to the more talented if less deserving Boozer.

Maybe it’s not fair, but it is what it is. The shame in all of this is that while Boozer will likely start at the four and get the minutes a starter typically commands, he is the first to admit that he doesn’t fall in line with the team’s long-term plans. Millsap clearly is, given the pretty substantial extension he inked with the Jazz this summer after Utah matched Paul’s offer sheet with Portland. At some point these things start to matter, and even though everyone might be whistling from the season opener, it’s only a matter of time before

Portland Trailblazers

Lion Face: Teddy Bears on Parade

Aren’t the Portland Trailblazers just so lovable? Brandon Roy might be the most accessible superstar in the NBA, and yet he’s unquestionably one of the least revered in terms of star power. His skill set is phenomenal, and the dude has somehow welded confidence and humility into his own unique brand of awesome. And down from Roy, you essentially have a team full of every fan’s “other” favorite guys. Rudy Fernandez is a rock star. Joel Przybilla is the back-up center you wish your team had. LaMarcus Aldridge is a productive, versatile big. Travis Outlaw may love to shoot, but he has interesting defensive tools and he’s a character. Jerryd Bayless…well, let’s just say that the reason he’s buried so deep on the bench is because stopping him from playing is a matter of national security.

Portland is just filled with players that you wish you could swipe away for your favorite squad, and I mean that in the best way possible. In building their squad of high character guys, the Blazers have assembled some notable assets. Eventually some of those parts will need to be shipped out for something, but in the meantime they form a pretty dynamic and talented team.

Lemon Face: Signs, Chants, and White Picket Fences Can’t Save You Now

Portland is just never as good as they should be on defense. With all that talent and their stable of bigs, the Blazers should be one of the league’s premier defensive outfits. But they could never defend at point guard with Steve Blake, and for some reason their various defensive talents could never form any kind of cohesive team success. Yet somehow, I don’t really see it “all coming together.” I don’t see Brandon Roy turning into a lock-down guy, I don’t see Martell Webster or Travis Outlaw becoming more than above average wing defenders, and I don’t see Nate utilizing Aldridge, Oden, and Przybilla in an effective manner on the inside.

Denver Nuggets

Lion Face: There’s Beauty in the Breakdown

Last season, I waited for the eventual Nuggets’ breakdown. In my mind, they were set for a fall after their resurgence under Billups. Needless to say, I’m still waiting.

But I’m a patient guy. Even though Melo has really come into his own as a scorer and a leader, I see this team falling down a peg this season. Still, there should be plenty to cheer about in Denver.

Aside from Billups and Martin, the rest of the core is set to improve. I’m a big fan of both Melo’s game and J.R. Smith’s, and if they continue to improve on schedule, things could get interesting. Plus, they got rid of Dahntay Jones.

Lemon Face: Umm…the Breakdown Part.

Yeah. The rough thing about being successful is the inevitable fallout. Are the Nuggets really equipped to deal with a potential implosion? It was always one of the problems of Chauncey’s locker rooms in Detroit, and I wouldn’t exactly dub George Karl a leader of men. If last season’s success gets to the Nuggets’ collective head, things could fall apart pretty quickly. I wouldn’t count on that necessarily, but I just don’t see this team, after losing a few role players, maintaining that same level of play.

OKC Thunder

Lion Face: Here Comes My Baby

The Thunder are the Blazers’ younger brothers. Everyone’s high on them, particularly because of the individual brilliance of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Aw hell, Jeff Green can come along, too. They’re rough around the edges, but lovable nonetheless. I haven’t been drinking enough of the Kool-Aid to call them threats to the playoff race, but they’ll be frequent guests on my NBA League Pass this year.

And James Harden. Oooh, James Harden. The man is a smooth operator, and though he can be a bit turnover prone for a shooting guard, the offense ran through him as ASU. Here, he’s the third fiddle on offense at best, which is a perfect position for him to work into a groove. If you’re going to start Russell Westbrook as your point guard, you’re going to need some shooters. They already had that in Durant, and James Harden only adds to their perimeter game in that regard. Plus, sorry Thabo, but he’s a huge upgrade over what they were working with.

Lemon Face: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Again, patience is the name of the game. As currently constructed, this is not a good basketball team. Westbrook still clearly has no idea what he’s doing as a point guard, even if he’s a good enough basketball player. They’ve got a good man at the helm in Presti, but the team needs some chill time. These bros just need to relax with some of their bros until they all bro up into the bros they’ll become. It won’t happen overnight, but the payoff will be tremendous.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Lion Face: Point Guards! Power Forwards! Yeah!

Fact: David Kahn only believes in two positions. Every player must be a point guard or power forward. THE LINE, IT IS DRAWN. Seriously, that’s the best thing I have to say about this team. Ramon Sessions is a cool point guard, and Kevin Love and Al Jefferson are both neat power forward. Jonny Flynn can hang out with the older kids, even if he’s still JV.

Lemon Face: If a Tree Falls in Minnesota, Who the Hell Is Going to Play Center?

Al Jefferson and Kevin Love are already facing injuries, and here we are negative hours into the season. What on earth is going to happen to this team if Love and Al miss significant time? Will the black hole forming in the paint eventually consume the entire roster, leaving nothing but an empty void where the Timberwolves organization used to be?

Somehow I don’t think that would be quite the loss that it sounds like. I’m fond of some of the players up in Minny, but this is barely an NBA squad.