With the win, the young Thunder are 6-5 and are currently in the 7th spot in the playoffs in the West, although we obviously have a long way to go. It would be fun to see Oklahoma fighting for a playoff spot at the end of the season.

It was the second time that Durant dished out five assists this season. As he matures, he’s going to need to develop his playmaking ability. He’s a wonderful scorer, but with the kind of attention he’s going to draw, he will have an opportunity to create a ton of shots for his teammates.

Garnett’s knee is just fine. It has been a concern in camp, but apparently KG has his explosion back. In a recent practice, he caught an alley-oop and slammed it home. The Celtics’ fortunes depend heavily on the health of Garnett’s knee. Without him at full strength, they’ll have a tough time competing with the Cavs and Magic. As an NBA fan, a healthy KG is good for the league.

Is Russell Westbrook turning into a dependable point guard? The Oklahoman reports that is A/T ratio in the preseason is 5.4. Last season it was 1.6, which is quite bad. It’s a small sample size, but if Westbrook can get his A/T ratio above 3.0, it will reap dividends for the Thunder. From a fantasy perspective, if he were to cut his turnovers in half and have the same number of assists (which would result in a A/T ratio of about 3.0), then he’d be the 15th most efficient point guard (just below Mo Williams) instead of the 21st most efficient.

Stephen Jackson will play for the Warriors, but he’s not happy about it. There’s a good chance the Warriors will acquiesce and try to fulfill Jackson’s wishes to be traded, but the 31 year-old has three more years remaining on his contract at the tune of $9.3 per season, so there’s no guarantee that a playoff team would be willing to make a move for him. Miami could move Michael Beasley, but Jackson’s contract would ruin the Heat’s financial flexibility next summer. The Suns could use Jackson to replace an aging Grant Hill, but they’re in financial trouble. The Hornets probably make the most sense, but are they willing to spend?

Who will be on the court to finish games — Bynum or Odom? This seems to be the annual question with the Lakers. When is Bynum’s game going to mature enough that it demands that he be on the floor to finish games? Odom is the better player right now, and although he’s flaky at times, he shows up when it counts. Bynum has been erratic, and he’s going to have to produce consistently to convince Phil Jackson to go with a “twin towers” approach. Odom can face the basket, which helps the Lakers spacing. When Bynum is on the floor with Pau Gasol, the lane gets clogged and Kobe doesn’t have as much room to penetrate.

Andre Miller isn’t happy being a backup. If I were Miller, I wouldn’t be happy backing up Steve Blake either. But the simple fact of the matter is that Blake is more suited to running the Blazers if they continue to grind-it-out offensively. Blake is a 39% 3PT shooter (Miller is a career 21% shooter from long range), and if Portland continues to play at a slow pace, then they’ll need Blake’s accuracy on the floor to create penetration lanes for Brandon Roy. Miller can post up, which is one way that Nate McMillan could use him in the half court. But he’s a point guard that thrives on the break, and in recent years, the Blazers just don’t push the ball all that much. This will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow this season.

Paul Millsap doesn’t worry about whether or not he’s starting. And he shouldn’t, because he’s still not quite as good as Carlos Boozer. Millsap should just put his head down and go to work, because he will be the starting power forward in Utah soon enough. The team made it clear by the commitment it made in the offseason. Boozer probably won’t be in Utah next season.

This year, we’re doing a division-by-division preview with quick-hitting analysis for every team in the league. If a franchise is a legitimate championship contender, I’ll focus on what stars have to line up for a title run. If a team is a playoff “also-ran,” I’ll identify the weaknesses that have to be shored up via trade, free agency or draft over the next couple of seasons to make it a contender. If a team is likely to miss the playoffs, I’ll take a look at the salary cap, and provide a blueprint for how the team should proceed in the near future to get back in the postseason. At the end of each divisional preview, I’ll provide some (random) thoughts for the fantasy hoopsters out there.

For each division, I’ll pick the order of finish. You’ll also see the team’s league-wide preseason rank in parenthesis. Be sure to check back over the course of the next couple of weeks for previews of each division.

Denver Nuggets (6)
The Nuggets are coming off a 54-28 record and a Northwest Division title. Of their top rotation players, they return all but Linas Kleiza (Olympiakos) and Dahntay Jones (Indiana). HC George Karl hopes that J.R. Smith can be a consistent starting shooting guard, but he won’t be afraid to use Arron Afflalo if Smith doesn’t play solid defense (or with his head on straight). Much of the credit to Denver’s fine season is given to Chauncey Billups, who provided steady play and leadership at point guard, but the health of Nene and Kenyon Martin should not be overlooked. The Nuggets re-signed Chris “The Birdman” Andersen to provide energy, rebounding and shot blocking off the bench. If the front line can stay healthy, Billups can stay productive at 33, and Smith can fulfill his considerable potential, then the Nuggets have enough talent to reach the Western Conference Finals for a second straight season. Even so, it’s hard to see Denver upending a healthy Lakers or Spurs squad in a seven-game series.

Portland Trail Blazers (8)
The Blazers finished with the same record as the Nuggets (54-28), but lost the tiebraker (divisional record) by one game. The team signed franchise player Brandon Roy to an extension, but is still negotiating with LaMarcus Aldridge. To date, this hasn’t become a major distraction, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t. The Blazers tried to make a splash in the offseason by courting Paul Millsap, Hedo Turkoglu and David Lee, but ended up with 33-year-old Andre Miller. While Miller is still productive in the twilight of his career, it’s not clear how he’s going to fit in with the grind-it-out Blazers. Portland was second-to-last in pace (possessions per game) and Miller is at his best when he’s pushing the ball. He’s also not much of an outside shooter, which could adversely affect the offensive spacing that enables Roy to be so devastating on the dribble. At press time, Steve Blake is still the starter, so Nate McMillan may have the same questions I do. One option would be to use Miller off the bench and have the second unit (Rudy Fernandez, Travis Outlaw, etc.) play at a much faster pace than the starters. Finally, the wild card is Greg Oden, who by most accounts is a changed man. If he taps into the potential that made him the #1 overall pick in 2007, the young Blazers may be ready to take the next step.

Utah Jazz (10)
Even though Utah returns most of its major pieces from a year ago, this is a team in flux. Carlos Boozer is in the final year of his contract, and this team can’t really move forward until his future is determined. Given the commitment that the team made to Paul Millsap, it is doubtful that Boozer is still with the Jazz after the February trade deadline. However, given the state of the economy, if the Jazz are in good shape heading into the second half of the season, they may elect to hold onto Boozer and let his contract expire instead of taking on salary in a trade. That said, this Utah team is going to play the same as they have for the last several years. They’ll push the ball, take good shots, and play hard-nosed defense. Jerry Sloan won’t live with anything less.

Oklahoma City Thunder (22)
For all the talk about how the Thunder improved last season, they only won three more games in 2008-09. However, the Thunder’s scoring margin dropped from -8.8 to -6.1, so they were far more competitive last season. Much of this had to do with the development of Kevin Durant, who shot almost 48% from the field in his second year after being a volume shooter (43%) in his rookie season. This was a direct result of his increased accuracy (42% vs. 29%) from long range. Meanwhile, rookie sensation Russell Westbrook showed flashes of becoming a star. He averaged 21/6/6 in the month of February, but he still has to work on his shot selection. The Thunder added the smooth and steady James Harden in the draft, and he should immediately start at shooting guard. Athletically, he’s better than people give him credit for, and he should thrive alongside Durant and Westbrook. This team is still a year or three away from the postseason, but they are headed in the right direction and have a ton of cap space over the next couple of years to add an impact player.

Minnesota Timberwolves (25)
Even though the T-Wolves lost their best player – Al Jefferson – for 32 games last season, they still managed to win 24 games, which is one more than the up-and-coming Thunder. Despite the Ricky Rubio debacle, Minnesota came out of the draft with two pretty good players in Jonny Flynn and Wayne Ellington. GM David Kahn also made a savvy signing by locking up Ramon Sessions for three years. Gone are Randy Foye, Mike Miller and Rashad McCants, and they will be replaced by Sessions, Flynn, Ellington and Damien Wilkins. Sessions and Flynn give the T-Wolves two good playmakers, and if the team can find some solid shooting to complement Jefferson’s low-post game, they should be competitive once again. Looking ahead, the team has a ton of cap space over the next couple of seasons, and with Sessions, Flynn, Kevin Love and Jefferson already on the roster, Minnesota would be a nice destination for a big-time wing like Joe Johnson, Manu Ginobili or (a healthy) Tracy McGrady. More likely, the team will continue to look to build through the draft and save that cap space for 2012, when one impact player could put the team back into the playoffs.

Fantasy Thoughts: If J.R. Smith does indeed start and get 30+ minutes on a nightly basis, then he should set career highs in points, rebounds and assists…Greg Oden has reportedly made great strides in his game, and is almost averaging a double-double in just 24 minutes in the preseason. If he can contain his fouls, he will be a surprise at center…Paul Millsap’s fantasy value may be depressed given Carlos Boozer’s absence, but if Boozer is traded by the February trade deadline, Millsap’s numbers will take a big jump as he gets more minutes. This could really help in a fantasy playoff run…James Harden should finish the season as one of the top fantasy rookies, assuming he utilizes good shot selection and can shoot 43%+ from the field…Nenad Krstic is slated to start for the Thunder, and if he can stay healthy, he should be able to post good numbers. He averaged 16/7 for the Nets three years ago and is only 26 years old…Ramon Sessions has all the talent to be a top 10 point guard in the NBA, but his upside in Minnesota is somewhat limited by the presence of Jonny Flynn.

ESPN’s Chad Ford lists nine teams that will have significant cap space next summer. [Insider subscription required.]

1. Nets ($25-$27 million)
2. Knicks ($24 million, assuming they don’t sign anyone for longer than a year)
3. Heat ($20-$22 million)
4. Timberwolves ($16-$18 million)
5. Bulls ($13-$15 million minus whatever they give Tyrus Thomas)
6. Thunder ($14-$15 million)
7. Rockets ($12-$14 million minus whatever they give to Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes)
8. Clippers ($10-$11 million)
9. Kings ($9-$10 million)

This assumes a cap of $53.6 million, which is an optimistic view. The cap could drop below $50 million.

It takes about $14 million of space to sign a max-contract player, so even under these optimistic circumstances, there really are only five teams — the Nets, Knicks, Heat, T-Wolves and Thunder — that will have that kind of space. (The Bulls are likely to keep Thomas and the Rockets are likely to retain Landry and Hayes, though they could make another move here or there to put them in position to add a superstar.)

Of these five teams, the Heat look to be in the best overall shape. Their projected payroll already includes Dwyane Wade, so they have enough to woo another superstar (LeBron, Bosh, Amare, Boozer?) to Miami. They also have a few good young players (Michael Beasley, Daequan Cook and Mario Chalmers) under contract, and the city boasts a great climate and nightlife. But the real draw is playing with Wade, who has already proven that he can win a championship if he has a little help.

The Thunder are compelling because they have a great young nucleus that includes Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green and James Harden. It would be a terrific spot for a big like Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire to go if they are serious about trying to win a championship.

The Nets are also appealing, though it would be nice if the team’s location were settled by next summer. Right now the plan is to play in Brooklyn starting in the 2011-12 season, so this would be a good landing spot for a star looking to up his Q score. They have an All-Star caliber point guard (Devin Harris), an up-and-coming off guard (Courtney Lee) and a rising star at center (Brook Lopez). Considering most of the major free agents next summer play off guard, small forward or power forward, the Nets will be a major player.

The Timberwolves are viewed as kind of a mess, and it will be next to impossible for them to attract LeBron or Wade to the Twin Cities. They would have an outside chance at Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire, but they are pretty set up front with Kevin Love and Al Jefferson. Joe Johnson would appear to be the best fit if he were willing to leave Atlanta.

Finally, the Knicks are in great shape financially, but if they can’t retain David Lee, they don’t have a whole lot of talent to attract a superstar who is more interested in titles than he is in playing in the biggest market in the country.

Ultimately, I think the Heat will acquire/sign an impact player like Bosh, Stoudemire or Boozer that will prompt Dwyane Wade to stay put. Those three bigs are likely to have new homes next season, though I think Bosh has the best chance to stay put with the moves that Toronto has made this summer. Joe Johnson will probably stick in Atlanta.

That leaves LeBron. I think the Cavs need to make a Finals appearance to keep him, though since they signed Anderson Varejao to a long-term deal, they don’t have the cap space to sign a big-name free agent to replace Shaquille O’Neal if they elect not to bring him back for another season. Will LeBron stay if the Cavs lose in the Finals and Shaq’s contract expires? The Cavs won’t have a lot of options in the summer of 2010 unless they can swing a trade to bring a superstar in his 20’s to Cleveland to be LeBron’s sidekick.

For a preview of the 2010 free agents, click here.

Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard has been actively working the phones, as usual.

The Blazers have been making inquiries all over the first round. Their main target has been Pittsburgh’s DeJuan Blair, a burly power forward who plays with a toughness the Blazers lack and coach Nate McMillan would appreciate.

However, Sunday night, there was talk Pritchard has even grander plans. With point guard Ricky Rubio possibly slipping out of the top four, the Blazers are talking to the Wizards about acquiring the No. 5 pick.

There’s no question Pritchard also is trying to figure out a way to get maximum cap room this summer to use for a free agent or in a trade. The Magic’s Hedo Turkoglu gets the most mention, but sources say Portland’s real target is Bulls point guard Kirk Hinrich.

Portland drafted Jerryd Bayless last year, but he didn’t have a very good rookie season, and head coach Nate McMillan would like Pritchard to steer clear of drafting another rookie. Hinrich would be a great fit. He’s relatively cheap (three years, $26.5 million remaining), experienced, and is a good defender.

Hasheem Thabeet pulled out of a workout with Memphis.

The official explanation was a sore shoulder. The unofficial explanation? Thabeet doesn’t want to play in Memphis and wanted to stay in Los Angeles to talk Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti into drafting him at No. 3.

Why doesn’t Thabeet want to play in Memphis? For the same reason that Ricky Rubio, Stephen Curry and others have refused workouts. Said one source in explaining the Grizzlies’ reputation: “They don’t spend any money anymore. They don’t have a commitment to put a winning team on the floor right now. It’s not where an agent wants to send his star pick.”

It seems nobody wants to play for the Grizzlies, but they still have the #2 pick. Most of the mock drafts I’ve seen have Thabeet as their pick, but DraftExpress thinks they’ll take James Harden and move O.J. Mayo to point guard. It appears that Tyreke Evans, DeMar DeRozan, Jordan Hill and Ricky Rubio are also under consideration. DraftExpress says that Harden might be the last man standing.

While Harden may not have helped himself with his poor workout in Memphis, he may be the last man standing at this point—the only player in the elite tier of prospects that actually is interested in playing there. The fact that highly influential Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley flew into Memphis to watch Thabeet, only to have him cancel his workout at the last minute, could bode very well for Harden.

Jonny Flynn and Tyreke Evans worked out for a second time in Sacramento.

Flynn was at the top of the Kings’ board coming into the workout, but Evans emerged at the top. His physicality was just too much for Flynn, Curry and Calathes to handle.

As one Kings scout said, “It was a man beating up boys.”

That could be bad news for Rubio.

I doubt Rubio slips past the Timberwolves at #6, but to this point he hasn’t worked out for Minnesota. Evans reportedly dominated the big point guard workout in Minnesota as well, so his stock seems to be on the rise.

DraftExpress says that the T-Wolves are considering trading up to get Rubio at #2.

Sources say that Rubio’s camp has warmed up significantly to David Kahn and the Timberwolves organization as of late, and that they would not be opposed to him landing there. The catch is that the rookie scale salary slot of the #6 pick would not be sufficient in terms of satisfying Rubio’s gigantic buyout from DKV Joventut, so Kahn would have to trade into the top three to make that happen.

Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman had this to say about the current trade winds in the NBA…

With just 10 days remaining until the June 25 NBA Draft, one league source said there has been an unusual silence around the league regarding substantial trade talks. The source said the economy is likely the culprit, with the majority of teams primarily interested in shedding high-dollar contracts.

“Dumping contracts is going to be the principal thing in this draft as far as trades go,” the source said. “You’re not going to see pick-for-pick (trades). You’re going to see pick and bad contract for pick.”

Outside of the run of the mill free agents, I think there might be a few big names changing teams this summer, but my bet is that they’ll mostly be the second-tier stars with bloated salaries. The playoff teams that are willing to spend won’t shy away from adding the salary given that the player may be the missing piece to the championship puzzle.

In another column, Mayberry discusses the importance of different positions in the NBA…

Nine of the 10 teams that finished the season ranked in the top 10 in opponent scoring made the playoffs. The common denominator: all had an interior defender or shot-blocker at the center position. (Nine of the 10 teams that finished at the bottom 10 in opponent scoring missed the playoffs. All but two — Chicago and Phoenix — lacked a difference-maker defensively at center.)

But on the flip side, with its roster under construction, the Thunder isn’t in a position to draft for need. Many observers around the league think the Thunder should select the best player available, regardless of position and in spite of Oklahoma City’s gaping hole in the middle.

“A lot of teams feel it’s way more important to have a Brandon Roy than a center,” said the scout. “A guy who can run the high pick-and-roll, get to the free throw line, make plays for others. It’s not even close. You’re dead in the water if you don’t have that guy.”

The Thunder pick third, so they’re likely looking at Ricky Rubio, Hasheem Thabeet and James Harden. The Rubio/Harden decision comes down to what the team has planned for Russell Westbrook. Is he the point guard of the future (as Chad Ford keeps reporting)? If so, it doesn’t make sense to draft Rubio. If they feel that Westbrook is better suited for off guard, then a Rubio/Westbrook backcourt could also be formidable. I’m guessing that the Grizzlies are going to go with Thabeet at #2, so OKC may very well have to make this decision later this month.