Do the Nuggets need the #1 seed to win the West?
Denver has been playing great basketball at the right time as the season draws closer to the playoffs. They have been in a back in forth battle all week with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the first seed in the Western conference. For now, the Thunder once again have a slight edge over the Nuggets since the Nuggets lost to the Mavericks on Sunday afternoon thanks to a ridiculous buzzer beating shot by Kyrie Irving. Denver will be the favorite to come out of the West regardless of what seed they finish with but at we saw last season having home court advantage was a major part of the Nuggets championship run last season.
In the 2023 playoffs, The Nuggets earned home court advantage throughout the playoffs and made the most of it winning 10 of their 11 home games enroute to their first NBA title. Denver still has plenty of games left to potentially earn the #1 seed especially given their favorable schedule and Jokic playing at an MVP level. Ultimately, I expect Denver to secure the first overall seed ahead of the playoffs as they know how important having home court will be as they look to defend their title.
Are the Suns still a championship contender?
The Suns are a team that came into the season with huge expectations given the talent of their big three in Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. However, the Suns have played well below expectations this season in part due to injuries as their big 3 has not played majority of the season together. Phoenix has struggled to win consistently as of late going just 5-5 over their last 10 games with their last losses coming against some of the top teams in the league in the Thunder, Celtics, and Bucks. Their most recent loss to the Bucks was especially disappointing as they gave up 140 points to a Giannis-less Bucks while at one point being down by as many as 22 points despite their big 3 playing.
After their most recent loss, the Suns have fallen to the eighth seed in the west with a 39-record which could be dangerous territory for them as they could potentially end up in the play-in tournament. Even if they are able to avoid being a play-in team the Suns are playing well below a championship level and do not appear to be on the same level as the other contenders in the West. If the Suns are not able find a way to win with consistency in the final stretch of the season they could finish as one of the most disappointing teams given their talent and expectations.
Are the Warriors the most dangerous play-in team?
Golden State has been a team that has fought through a lot of adversity this season and has continued to play well at times. On Saturday, Steph Curry returned from a three game absence to take on the Lakers in a key game that could potentially decide which team makes the playoffs. In what could likely be a play-in matchup the Warriors came into Los Angeles and were led by their Superstar in Steph Curry who dropped 31 points in a crucial victory on the road. With the win, the Warriors took the lead in the season series against the Lakers and regained the 9th seed in the West. What makes their win so important is that the Lakers will likely be their opponent in 9th versus 10th seed play-in matchup with the 9th seed having home court advantage.
Of the four teams currently in the 7-10 play-in seeds in the West the Warriors are by far the best team and could pose the biggest threat to whoever they would matchup with in the playoffs. This is primarily due to their playoff experience, outside shooting capability, and the fact that they have overcome several of the issues that plagued them earlier in the season. With Klay Thompson playing much better basketball in his new role off the bench and the Warriors young star in Jonathan Kuminga blossoming the Warriors could be a tough out in the playoffs. Though the Warriors are not a championship contender as they have been for so many years they are still a team that will be a tough out come playoff time especially with the way Steph Curry is playing.
Game of the week- Kyrie Irving caps off an instant classic game with a tough left handed buzzer beating floater to give the Mavericks a 107-105 win over the Denver Nuggets. The NBA's leading scorer Luka Doncic drops a game high 37 points in the win.
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