With the 2007-08 NBA season only three weeks away, we here at RealGM decided to offer a six-part series that will break down the off-season maneuvers of each team, take a look at who went where, and pose burning questions that will plague each team as it prepares for the start of the regular season.  With great potential surrounding this year?s incoming draft class and plenty of big names migrating from the Western Conference to the East, there are many issues to become aware of prior to the Opening Tip.  Stay tuned as RealGM prepares you for the 2007-08 NBA season.

Part 1 ? 19th September, 2007 ? Atlantic Division Season Preview

Part 2 ? 25th September, 2007 ? Central Division Season Preview

Part 3 ? 3rd October, 2007 ? Southeast Division Season Preview

The fourth part of this six-piece series will spotlight the Northwest Division.

- Denver Nuggets -

The Denver Nuggets had a very interesting season last year.  They lost Kenyon Martin for the season, were involved in a brawl with the New York Knicks early in the season that saw Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith suspended for large portions of the season, dealt away sparkplug fixture Earl Boykins, and notably traded for icon Allen Iverson.  Despite the hectic season filled with distractions, they still fought their way into the playoffs and gave the champion San Antonio Spurs a scare.

NBA Draft Picks: None

Key Additions: Chucky Atkins (Free Agent ? Memphis), Steven Hunter (trade ? Philadelphia), Bobby Jones (trade ? Philadelphia), Anthony Roberson (FA ? NBDL), Alvin Jones (FA), Brad Stricker (FA), Jelani McCoy (FA)

Key Losses: Steve Blake (FA ? Portland), Reggie Evans (trade ? Philadelphia), Ricky Sanchez (trade ? Philadelphia), Jamal Sampson (FA ? Dallas), DerMarr Johnson (FA ? unsigned)

The Nuggets may regret letting Steve Blake leave the team, but filled his shoes with a very suitable veteran point guard Chucky Atkins, who is coming off one of the best seasons of his career.  They also dealt away Reggie Evans, but brought in youthful talents in Steven Hunter and Bobby Jones.   Hunter could provide shot-blocking help when Camby is on the bench.

Burning Questions

- Will a full season of Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony regain the division crown?  
- Will Kenyon Martin make a much-needed return to the paint?
- Will Marcus Camby build off of his Defensive POY season?
- Will veteran Chucky Atkins play his way into the starting backcourt?
- Will J.R. Smith continue to be a steal of a deal from Chicago?
- Will Steven Hunter pair with Camby to become a dominant shot-swatting duo?
- What version of Nene will we get this season?  The overweight sloth?  Or the physical dominator in the paint?
- Will Carmelo Anthony continue his ascent into one of the game?s most elite superstars?

Person on the Hot Seat: Allen Iverson

Last season?s biggest name to be traded is now on the hot seat.  He came over to Denver and was forced to coexist with Carmelo Anthony and the free-shooting J.R. Smith.  At the trail end of the season, after given ample time to mesh with Melo, The Answer was learning whether the team needed him to defer or dominate.  Look for the fans to expect big things from Iverson, especially when he has all camp to learn how to fit into George Karl?s system.

Team Outlook

Denver has been a very solid club for the best couple of seasons.  The only problem is that they have faced some big injuries at the wrong times.  If they can get Kenyon Martin to come back and play nasty defense with his former intimidating self, watch out.  That addition, along with a full season of Melo and Iverson could spell trouble for the rest of the division, and possibly the conference.    

- Minnesota Timberwolves -

Ever since the march to the Western Conference Finals fueled by Kevin Garnett, Sam Cassell, and Latrell Sprewell, the Timberwolves have been stuck in mediocrity.  General Manager Kevin McHale has been incapable of flanking Garnett with suitable help and the team has plummeted.  Finally, McHale has granted KG?s wish to play for a winner, and dealt the face of the franchise to the Eastern Conference.  This is the beginning of a new era for the Minnesota Timberwolves.      

NBA Draft Picks: Corey Brewer (No. 7), Chris Richard (No. 41)

Key Additions: Al Jefferson (trade ? Boston), Gerald Green (trade ? Boston), Ryan Gomes (trade ? Boston), Sebastian Telfair (trade ? Boston), Theo Ratliff (trade ? Boston), Juwan Howard (trade ? Houston), Greg Buckner (trade ? Dallas), John Edwards (FA ? NBDL)

Key Losses: Kevin Garnett (trade ? Boston), Mike James (trade ? Houston), Trenton Hassell (trade ? Dallas), Troy Hudson (FA ? Golden State), Justin Reed (trade ? Houston)

We can?t ignore the rather large elephant in the room.  The only player any fan of basketball thinks of when the words ?Minnesota? and ?Timberwolves? are mentioned in the same breath is Kevin Garnett.  He was the Minnesota Timberwolves.  He made the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Now he is gone.  Tears have been shed, but ultimately, it?s better for them in the long run.  They received a glut of young talent from Boston and were also able to jettison spare parts Mike James, Troy Hudson, and Trenton Hassell ? three guys who basically did the same thing.  These moves brought in some great young talent with Al Jefferson and Gerald Green, and the drafting of Corey Brewer could turn out to be one of the best picks in the entire Draft.

Burning Questions

- How will the Twin Cities adopt this new team without Kevin Garnett?  
- Will the Timberwolves deal Juwan Howard?  
- Will Corey Brewer be one of the top players in this year?s Draft?
- Will Chris Richard prove to be a steal similar to Chuck Hayes or Paul Millsap?
- Will Al Jefferson answer Kevin McHale?s prayers and become a dominant force?
- Will Sebastian Telfair stay out of trouble?
- Will Theo Ratliff ever play a game in Minnesota?  Is he seriously alive?
- Will Gerald Green ever reach his potential?
- Will this Minnesota team just be the same old Celtics in different uniforms?
- Is anyone else so excited that the Timberwolves went from having 239 guys making the same amount of money playing the same exact position with equally poor results, and finally dealt three of them this off-season (James, Hassell, Hudson)?

Person on the Hot Seat: Kevin McHale

Kevin McHale is way too easy a target for this category, but I had to do it.  He just brought over five former Celtics who have continually failed in the Eastern Conference, only to team them up with the other two former Celtics (Mark Blount, Ricky Davis) he brought in with his last ridiculous trade with Boston.  Don?t get me wrong, I actually liked the trade for Minnesota.  But it?s difficult to believe that this collection of jettisoned Celtics will be able to do much in the immediate future for the Wolves.  The thing about this team that makes them exciting is their youthful players, Randy Foye, Corey Brewer, and Rashad McCants.  Team the other high flying players like Gerald Green and Al Jefferson and they can be a very exciting team to watch.  With a fresh start and away from the heckling fans of Beantown, maybe this roster just might work.  Remember, Sebastian?s cousin once made a name for himself in this town?could the fans at the Target Center do the same for Telfair?

Team Outlook

Don?t expect to see the T-Wolves in the NBA Finals just yet, but they will definitely be an improved team from last year.  Immediately replacing the absurd number of guards who collectively did nothing, they now have an exciting youthful team with some potential stars at nearly every position.  A core of Foye, Davis, McCants, Brewer, Green, Jefferson, and Craig Smith could play a fast paced game and compete with many teams in the league.  I wouldn?t sleep on these young Wolves just yet.

- Portland Trailblazers -

After a season of improvement across the board, the Blazers sent reigning Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy to Madison Square Garden to try to secure one of the top picks in the biggest NBA Draft Lottery in recent history.  With the odds against Portland, they sat and waited while the envelopes were opened.  Magically, they were awarded the top pick in the Draft, and were in the spotlight with one of the more enjoyable decisions any franchise front office has ever had to make: Greg Oden?  Or Kevin Durant?

NBA Draft Picks: Greg Oden (No. 1), Josh McRoberts (No. 37), Taurean Green (No. 52)

Key Additions: Channing Frye (trade ? New York), Steve Blake (FA ? Denver), James Jones (trade ? Phoenix), Petteri Koponen (trade ? Philadelphia), J.R. Pinnock (FA ? LA Lakers), Brent Petway (FA), Chris Ellis (FA)

Key Losses: Zach Randolph (trade ? New York), Fred Jones (trade ? New York), Ime Udoka (FA ? San Antonio), Jamaal Magloire (FA ? New Jersey), Steve Francis (waived ? Houston), Demetris Nichols (trade ? New York), Derrick Byars (trade ? Philadelphia), Dan Dickau (trade ? New York), Luke Schenscher (FA ? unsigned)

The Trailblazers once again made a flurry of deals at the NBA Draft.  They ended up selecting Greg Oden with the top pick, added Duke power forward Josh McRoberts, national champion Taurean Green, and dealt for European sensation Petteri Koponen.  The big news of the night was the deal that sent 20-10 power forward Zach Randolph to the Knicks for Channing Frye and Steve Francis.  They would later waive Francis.  They wanted to clear their name of having troubled players, and Randolph was the last to go.  Now, the Portland Trailblazers are stacked with quality players who are also good character guys.  Unfortunately, they were dealt the sour news that Oden would be lost for the season, after it was found that he needed to undergo the ghastly microfracture surgery.  

Burning Questions

- How will the Blazers respond to the loss of the Greg Oden for the season?
- Will Channing Frye be able to deliver now that Randolph and Magloire are gone, and Oden is out for the season?
- How will Frye and Aldridge pair together in the paint?
- Will Brandon Roy continue to be one of the top young guards in the league?
- Will Martell Webster ever show up?
- Will Josh McRoberts be a bust?
- Will Sergio Rodriguez surpass Jarrett Jack for the starting point guard spot?  Steve Blake?
- Will Taurean Green even make the team with Blake, Jack, Koponen, and Rodriguez ahead of him?  Or will they do him a favor and deal him to Minnesota to reunite with Brewer and Richard?
- Will Brent ?Air Georgia? Petway make it the team?  Will he contend for the 2007-08 NBA Slam Dunk Championship?  Best haircut award?

Person on the Hot Seat:  Jarrett Jack

Jack was the one who came out of college and stole the show from the troubled but talented Sebastian Telfair two seasons ago.  Now he has a crowd breathing down his neck as Sergio Rodriguez matured into a great player last season, Steve Blake is a distributing machine, Petteri Koponen was tabbed as the top international point guard in the Draft, and Taurean Green was the floor general for the two-time defending national champion Florida Gators.  Now, that is quite a competitive glut on this roster and its Jack?s starting position to lose.

Team Outlook

There is no doubt that the loss of Greg Oden for the season is devastating.  The entire city was excited to have the Big Fella on the team, and could have teamed with LaMarcus Aldridge and Channing Frye to be one of the scariest three-headed center/power forward monsters in recent memory.  Now, it seems as if the city has been punched in the gut.  The roster is stacked with talent.  Hopefully, they can channel their energy towards supporting the players on the floor, rather than wondering what could have been with the Gentle Giant.

- Seattle Supersonics -

Sonics fans have had to deal with constant murmur of the team relocating to Oklahoma City, and the realization that their top two players were on the verge of leaving the team.  However, with a lucky drop of the NBA Draft Lottery balls, they were thwarted back into league-wide relevance.  The Sonics have been fighting mediocrity since their magical run in the West two years ago.  But who would have thought that having the second overall pick in the Draft would be even better than having the first?

NBA Draft Picks: Kevin Durant (No. 2)

Key Additions: Jeff Green (trade ? Boston), Delonte West (trade ? Boston), Wally Szczerbiak (trade ? Boston), Kurt Thomas (trade ? Phoenix)

Key Losses: Ray Allen (trade ? Boston), Rashard Lewis (trade ? Orlando), Glen Davis (trade ? Boston), Carl Landry (trade ? Houston), Andre Brown (FA ? Memphis), Danny Fortson (FA ? unsigned), Mike Wilks (FA ? unsigned), Randy Livingston (FA ? unsigned)

The Sonics might have had the best Draft in the league.  They entered with only the second pick and knowing that Rashard Lewis was on his way out.  They ended up with Kevin Durant, the national player of the year in every aspect of college basketball, falling into their lap, and they turned the aging Ray Allen into the fifth overall pick (the heart and soul of Georgetown, clutch player Jeff Green), scrapper and team leader Delonte West, and Wally Szczerbiak, two years removed from being a prolific scorer out West.  After those two hugely successful moves, new General Manager Sam Presti turned something out of nothing.  Rather than letting Rashard Lewis walk away for nothing, they managed to swing a deal with the Orlando Magic that gave them a rather large trade exception.  They would then turn that exception into veteran big man Kurt Thomas and two future first rounders from Phoenix.  All of a sudden, these Sonics look like they have a TON of potential ? after only four off-season moves by the prodigy Presti, who was stolen from San Antonio.

Burning Questions

- Who will have a better rookie year?  Kevin Durant or Jeff Green?
- Will Durant play shooting guard or small forward?
- Will both Green and Durant start?
- Will Delonte West beat Luke Ridnour out for the starting point guard slot?
- Or will he move to shooting guard where he played next to Jameer Nelson at St. Joe?s?
- Will Wally Szczerbiak return to form?
- Will Kurt Thomas play solid defense to compliment the offense of Chris Wilcox?
- Will Johan Petro, Mouhamed Sene, or Robert Swift ever live up to their Draft spots?
- Will the Sonics be in Seattle at the end of the season?  In the 2008-09 season?

Person on the Hot Seat: Wally Szczerbiak

Wally might be the key to how successful this team is going to be this season.  If he can come in and play like he did two years ago, when he scored 19.0 points per game over 72 games for Minnesota and Boston, they will benefit from his leadership and his shot-making ability.  With two extremely talented youthful small forwards in Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, he can mentor them and teach them the intricacies of playing the position in the League.  His role on this team is vital for the development of their youths as one of the most experienced and cerebral players on the squad, along with newcomer Kurt Thomas.  He is also easily the highest paid player on the team and is due $25M over the next two years.

Team Outlook

While it seems impossible for this team to challenge the rest of the conference for a playoff spot, don?t be surprised if they do.  They have a great collection of backcourt players in Ridnour, Watson, West, Wilkins, and Szczerbiak.  They have solid big men up front with Collison, Thomas, and Wilcox.  They have feisty wing players in Green, Gelabale, and Kevin Durant.  And they have the trio of first round big men who can potentially block a few shots and frighten guards to penetrate the paint (Sene, Swift, and Petro).  Plus, who else is excited to see the return of Coach PJ Carlesimo, especially after he shadowed Super-coach Gregg Popovich over the past five years?  Seattle fans better strap in for an exciting season in Seattle.

- Utah Jazz -

The Utah Jazz turned a lot of heads last year by streaking their way into the Western Conference Finals.  They are led by the very cerebral and talented Deron Williams and have one of the best big men tandems in the league with Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur.  Following the conclusion of the season, upper management paid it forward to clubhouse leader, Derek Fisher, by granting him his release in order to pursue better doctors for his ailing daughter in the Los Angeles area.  We here at RealGM wish him and his family the best of luck in these trying times.  However, it is hard to ignore that his departure creates a huge void in the locker room and his ability to hit the big shot will surely be missed.  

NBA Draft: Morris Almond (No. 25)

Key Additions: Jason Hart (FA ? LA Clippers), Ronnie Price (FA ? Sacramento), Kyrylo Fesenko (trade ? Philadelphia)

Key Losses: Derek Fisher (waived ? LA Lakers), Dee Brown (FA ? overseas), Herbert Hill (trade ? Philadelphia), Rafael Araujo (FA ? unsigned)

The Jazz will sorely miss Fisher, but may have finally found themselves a shooting guard of the future.  With continued attempts to find the two-guard sniper over the past couple of seasons, the Jazz used the twenty-fifth pick in the Draft to nab one of the most underrated scorers available.  His game has been compared to Allan Houston and would provide Deron Williams with a reliable spot shooter to kick it out to while he is carving up the interior defense and drawing in help-defenders.  Otherwise, Jason Hart will step in to fill the void left by D-Fish.

Burning Questions

- Will Andrei Kirilenko back off of his recent trade demands?
- Will Deron Williams make the Western Conference All-Star team?
- Will Morris Almond finally be the answer for the Jazz at shooting guard?
- Will Jason Hart be able to fill in for the departed Derek Fisher?
- Will Carlos Boozer be able to have another injury-free season?
- Will Mehmet Okur continue to improve in all facets of his game?

Person on the Hot Seat: Andrei Kirilenko

AK-47 has been very vocal this off-season, often expressing his displeasure with being a member of the Utah Jazz.  He is the franchise player who is being paid an average of nearly $16M per year for the next four seasons.  Last year was a down year for Kirilenko, who may have gotten sour grapes after realizing that he has become the fourth option on the team behind emerging stars ? Williams, Boozer, and Okur.  This year is a big year for AK-47, because if he plays the gritty style of basketball he is capable of, he could be the key to getting the Utah Jazz back into the NBA Finals for the first time since before the days of Karl Malone in wrestling tights.

Team Outlook

The Utah Jazz are a strong contender in the West.  However, the loss of Derek Fisher and the bickering of Andrei Kirilenko may prove too much for the Jazz to repeat their success of last season.  The Jazz have all the talent needed to make the playoffs, and should be the favorite to win this division, especially if Morris Almond becomes even half the scorer he was in college.

Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts.  He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments or questions.