‘Perception’ (Melissa Majchrzak – NBAE/Getty Images)  

NBA commentators have developed ever-ingenious ways to slam the Leastern conference.  Despite the league’s two best records belonging to teams heralding from Boston and Detroit, every other Eastern Conference team would be battling with Golden State, Dallas, and Denver for the 7th and 8th seeds in the west.  While those eastern teams are always publicly under fire, is there smoke rising from SLC as well?  Are jabs being thrown at the Northwest Division behind our backs?

Eight playoff spots in the Western Conference will possibly showcase two Northwest Division teams.  With Dirk unable to buoy up Dallas’ sinking playoff hopes, Denver may join Utah among the West’s elite eight.  However, while essentially every sports writer considers the Jazz to be at least a threat to come out of the west, few if any give Denver the same respect even IF they manage to make the playoffs.  That leaves the Southwest and Pacific divisions well represented by teams with a real chance to win the west, while the Northwest Division offers only our Utah Jazz. 

Disdain toward the Northwest Division also gains momentum with the very real possibility that the Jazz will wrap up the 4th seed despite sporting a worse record than the 5th and 6th seeds.  Fans in Houston and Phoenix probably see us as the spoiled rich boy of the western conference who gets what he does not deserve (even if the 4th seed is nothing more than a title and does not guarantee home court in the first round). 

Moreover, just as Boston and Detroit’s records are accused of being inflated for having played so many cupcake teams of the east, other western conference division leaders probably see our record as being somewhat inflated for having Seattle and Minnesota on our plate four times a year each (this argument assumes that other teams did not notice Minny handle us twice recently). 

Of course, the other western conference divisions have the Grizzles and Clippers to pad their schedules, so the real issue may be Denver’s early struggles to keep pace with other western conference powers.  Does not having a second divisional team vying for home court in the first round cast a slight shadow on the Jazz’ rightful seat next to San Antonio, L.A., and New Orleans? 

Any homage withheld from the Jazz this year will burst through the flood gates in the next 2-3 years.  Seattle will likely get another top 3 pick to go with Durant and Green.  Minnesota is not quite as bad as their record indicates, and will get a similar pick to further compliment a budding Al Jefferson.  Portland’s surprising success this season will be supplemented by a healthy Greg Oden.  Couple all that with the approaching decline / retirements of Nash, Shaq, Kidd, Duncan, and half of the spurs bench, and the northwest division will likely be the cream of the conference.  It will be more difficult to stay atop the division, but edging out a contending team driven by Aldridge, Roy, and Oden in the last week of the season will douse any remaining flames of contempt from other western contenders.