NBA Power Rankings: Ranking each division through one month
By Austin Lloyd
5. Central (E)
The Central division is actually in good competition with No. 4 on this list but takes fifth place due to noticeably less depth.
It’s not all bad, though, as this division holds both the up-and-coming Chicago Bulls and the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks. So while the group may be off to a slow start, they will surely make more noise as the season progresses.
4. Northwest (W)
As previously established, the Northwest is in close ties with the Central boys at the moment. However, while the Central has a 9-win team followed by 8-win and 4-win teams, the Northwest has two 9-win teams in front of a 6-win team. With that in mind, the numbers give an edge to the latter.
As for what all the Northwest actually has to offer, they possess the Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, and Denver Nuggets (all of which are not beyond making some noise in the Western Conference playoff bracket). In short, it’s a solid division, but nowhere near great.