Winning the division is pretty neat, all right. You get a banner. They add it to the coach’s bio. They sell overpriced T-shirts, which proclaim the accomplishment.
But this NBA season, with 10 legitimate playoff teams in the Western Conference vying for eight playoff spots, winning one of the three divisions isn’t just a resume stuffer.
“The problem the West presents is if a team doesn’t win the division, they might not be in the playoffs at all,” TNT analyst Mike Fratello said.
Such is the case in the Nuggets’ Northwest Division, a three-horse race with Denver, Utah and Portland. Only one will get the automatic playoff berth.
Portland (23-15) leads the division by just half a game over Denver (22-15) and 1 1/2 games over Utah (22-17).
The Trail Blazers have the sixth-best record in the conference, the Nuggets seventh and the Jazz ninth.
Tonight at the Pepsi Center, the struggling Nuggets host Utah for the first of four games this season.
“I don’t think anybody needs to tell us it’s an important basketball game,” said Denver coach George Karl, whose team has lost two straight games. “We know that we have this team four times. And there’s a good chance if a team would win three of these four, it would be a big advantage in the race.”
The race, really, has already begun.
The Blazers stumbled out of the blocks 5-12, and there were whispers of how University of Memphis’ Derrick Rose would fit into the 2008-09 lineup. Then came an amazing jolt — Portland won its next 13 games. No Rose at the Rose Garden anymore. But maybe another banner.
Utah started 7-2, but a swoon took it to 13-14, before finding its stride in January. The Jazz has won four straight entering tonight’s game.
Denver has weathered a slew of injuries and inconsistent defense to stay neck-and-neck-(and-neck) with the other two teams.
It’s only Jan. 17, but the Portland-Utah season series is already completed, with Portland winning three of the four. Denver has played Portland three times, losing twice. Their final meeting is Feb. 4 at Portland.
The Nuggets play the Jazz once in each remaining month. After tonight, the teams play Feb. 6 in Denver, March 8 at Utah and April 12 at Utah, the Nuggets’ third-to- last game of the season.
The Jazz is an old-school team with veteran players and a veteran coach in Jerry Sloan. They splashed onto the radar last postseason with a surprise series victory against Houston, followed by a 4-1 romp of Golden State, sending the Jazz into the conference finals for the first time since the John Stockton and Karl Malone days a decade ago.
“They’re a team to be reckoned with,” said Fratello, a former NBA coach. “They have guys who can score, they’re physical, they execute, they have an excellent coach. It’s a hardened team, and they’re tough to play, particularly in their building.”
Without power forwards Kenyon Martin (staph infection) and Nene (testicular tumor removed this week), Denver center Marcus Camby will have to hold down the low post tonight, helping out on the bulldozing Carlos Boozer and the crafty Mehmet Okur, a jump-shooting center.
“They’re definitely a well-coached team and a well-balanced team,” Camby said. “(Point guard) Deron Williams and Boozer is like a younger version of Stockton and Malone. (Forward) Andrei Kirilenko has returned back to his old self. Okur is knocking down 3s. They’re a solid team.”
Portland wasn’t supposed to be this good this fast, especially with No. 1 overall draft pick Greg Oden out for the season (knee). But the Blazers’ brass and coach Nate McMillan cooked up a delicious mix of young players who are playing as if they are veterans from Utah.
“Character is so important to winning,” Fratello said. “It sure is nice to have guys who are self-motivated and are very competitive people.”
So who’s going to win this thing?
Fratello couldn’t pick the winner, citing the fact that there is too much basketball left to be played, too many road trips and injury bugs to haunt the teams.
“If it was played out, you’d think it would come down to Utah and Denver, based on big games experience, things like that,” he said. “But everybody’s been counting out the Blazers, and they’ve proved the opposite. I coached a young team that won 50 games when nobody gave them a chance. But the blend was there, they were very competitive guys. It can happen.
“In the Western Conference, that’s going to get ugly down the stretch. A good ugly.”
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
Spotlighted games
Results and upcoming matchups in the showdown series:
UTAH VS. PORTLAND
The season series is over; Portland won 3-1.
DENVER VS. UTAH:
Tonight at Denver
Feb. 6 at Denver
March 8 at Utah
April 12 at Utah
DENVER VS. PORTLAND:
Nov. 14: Denver 110, Portland 93
Dec. 16: Portland 116, Denver 105
Dec. 21: Portland 99, Denver 96
Feb. 4 at Portland
Potential postseason players
Denver Post staff writer Benjamin Hochman looks at how the Northwest will be won and the players to watch down the stretch:
DENVER
Watch: G Anthony Carter
Can he sustain his momentum (career highs with 8.1 points, 5.9 assists) playing more minutes than he has ever had to before?
Why they’ll make the playoffs
They’re too talented to not make them. Aren’t they? Obviously, the Nuggets must make a commitment to defense. But when they’re clicking, they’re tough to slow down.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
Watch: G Brandon Roy
The versatile Roy is the team’s general, playing older than his age — 23. His leadership is vital for keeping one of the league’s big surprises afloat.
Why they’ll make the playoffs
Their young, budding talent has already shown he is ready for prime time. They play smart defense; LaMarcus Aldridge has emerged as a low-post threat.
UTAH JAZZ
Watch: F Carlos Boozer
With 23.0 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, the low-post threat is one of only five 2 0/10 NBA players.
Why it will make the playoffs
The Jazz has bounced back from its early-season slump and is playing smart, tough basketball. And the Jazz made a playoff run last year, so the players are used to pressure.
