Trail Blazers and Jazz the best of a division in flux

It's Randy Foye or bust, to a large extent. The Timberwolves were encouraged by their overall play (14-25) once Foye returned from a stress reaction that cost him the first 43 games. Still, he is more Dwyane Wade than Chris Paul, and that won't do much for the other four guys who involved in each play. Telfair would be best as a third guard, and there are some who feel the throwaway draft-night deal that sent Kansas rookie Mario Chalmers to Miami could come back to haunt these guys.

Jefferson still will be logging minutes at center.

Jason Collins demonstrated in New Jersey that he's not a full-time starter, and after him, the cupboard is mostly filled with banging forwards (Smith, Mark Madsen, Chris Richard). Jefferson felt that his offense suffered when he was handling center duties, and his defense is an issue regardless. He isn't the type to stir up trouble over it, but Big Al is someone the Wolves need to max out, as a player. Playing him out of position won't do that.

Grade: B

O.J. Mayo might, someday, become a star with Memphis or another team. Trading him away on draft night for Love, a more limited and even positionless player at the pro level, seemed like McHale asking for more criticism of the sort that came his way for swapping Brandon Roy for Foye in 2006. But given Minnesota's obvious holes to plug, the chance to land two rotation guys (Love and sharpshooter Mike Miller) for one Mayo was a "must'' move. If only the point had been addressed.

What went right:

They got out of Dodge.

Actually, they're a lot closer to Dodge -- Dodge City, KS -- than they were up in Seattle. But you know what we're talking about: These guys can settle into their new home now and won't face another lame-duck season in Seattle, where emotions were turning sour and being directed at the basketball operation when there weren't owners around to boo. The love that will emanate from the folks at the Ford Center -- where they still stand, rah-rah style, until the home team scores its first points -- should be worth a few victories all by itself.

Russell Westbrook can play. Now.

Most veteran GMs will tell you that it doesn't matter where a player is picked if he does what he's projected to do. So the idea that Westbrook went too high at No. 4 in June really is wasted fretting if he gives this club what it needs at point guard. And based on his summer league play in Orlando (18 points, five assists, four rebounds in his debut; 15 points in the first half of his second game), that seems highly likely. No one figures to be nostalgic for the Luke Ridnour era. "I knew he was going to come in here and play well,'' prized second-year wing man Kevin Durant said. "He's a fun player to watch and he's even funner to play with." And who doesn't like funner?