On the finish of each common season, playoff seeding turns into the primary matter of dialog. Ought to groups attempt to dictate the standings? Or ought to they play to win it doesn’t matter what, matchups be damned?
That is the dilemma that the Denver Nuggets had on the finish of the season. They determined to take the latter route. They defeated the San Antonio Spurs, which set them up with the Minnesota Timberwolves within the first spherical. In the event that they misplaced, they’d have performed the injury-ravaged Los Angeles Lakers in spherical one.
The Nuggets are positively feeling the impression of that call now and whereas hindsight is 20/20, the choice they need to have made is clear.
Denver’s finish of season win is now coming again to hang-out them
Whereas the Lakers are taking part in nice basketball towards the Rockets, the Nuggets would have posed every kind of matchup nightmares for them. Denver has owned the postseason matchups with LA in latest reminiscence and with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves shelved, they may have made fast work of the Lakers.
As an alternative, the Nuggets are set to have one other playoff struggle with the Wolves. Of their final 30 matchups, the 2 groups are tangled up at 15-15. The final time they met within the playoffs, Minnesota got here again from a 20 level deficit on the highway to win Sport 7 and advance to the Western Convention Finals.
Now, the 2 squads are tied at 1-1 because the Wolves head dwelling for video games three and 4. It is a Minnesota staff that has the dimensions, size, and star energy to push the Nuggets.
Rudy Gobert did an exceptional job making life troublesome for Nikola Jokic in Sport Two. Julius Randle has been a ache for Denver within the paint. Donte DiVencenzo, Jaden McDaniels, and Ayo Dosumnu have been pests on each ends of the ground.
Even when the Nuggets get out of this collection, how a lot are they going to have left? Sure, it’s a good check for them, however that is precisely why groups must at the very least take into consideration the playoff path. You play who you play sure positive, however the purpose is to win 4 collection, not one. Optimizing that’s vital for playoff longevity.
Denver is headed in the direction of one other struggle with Minnesota. We’ll see which facet comes out bloodied and victorious, however you must wonder if or not the Nuggets would relatively be the 4 seed and taking part in the Lakers in spherical one, with a probably banged-up OKC in spherical two. Time will inform if one route was higher than the opposite.
Observe
