With Kevin Durant’s departure for the Pacific, the Northwest Division has lost its only perennial contender. That said, the division still boasts three legitimate playoff teams, the up-and-coming Minnesota Timberwolves (sans Kevin Garnett), and a collection of some talented youngsters (Nikola Jokic, Jusuf Nurkic, Emmanuel Mudiay) alongside some solid veterans in Denver.
Despite having missed out on the playoffs since 2012, the Utah Jazz have managed to stay relevant throughout the years as the perennial “almost” team of the Western Conference.