Kevin Durant was talking trash during the NBA's All-Star week publicly, and allegedly he's been talking trash privately behind a burner X/Twitter or text message account about his teammates all season, too. And if true, his teammates potentially know about it. Surprisingly, this could benefit the Nuggets substantially, as the ripple effect could cause team chemistry issues for the Rockets, who are currently Denver's closest challenger for the three seed in the West.
Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe discussed the situation on the latest edition of the Bill Simmons Podcast. "If this is all true, and he's talking about guys that he plays with right now, I don't know if we've ever been in a situation like this," said Simmons. Not a good spot for the Rockets, if true.
But the Nuggets will take every bit of help they can get in the standings. They've been overrun by injuries this year, and even Nikola Jokic missed the longest stretch of his career, sitting out 16 games while he recovered from a knee injury.
If the Rockets lose even one game due to an issue with team chemistry, it could have major consequences for the Nuggets' seeding, especially because the Nuggets face a tough road ahead.
The Nuggets have the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA
Yes, of course. We wouldn't have it any other way, would we? According to Tankathon, the Nuggets have the hardest remaining schedule in the NBA. Why not? It's not like it hasn't felt like an uphill battle all season or anything.
OKC and San Antonio three times each. The Lakers twice. Houston, Boston, and New York once. And this tough finish comes on the heels of a rough couple of weeks since Jokic returned to the lineup. The Nuggets are just 3-4 since his return.
The Nuggets really have had a tough run on the injury front this season, but they're finally nearing full strength, and just in time. This stretch run is surely going to leave them battle-tested for the playoffs.
Cam Johnson and Christian Braun have returned to the starting lineup, and Peyton Watson is about two weeks away from getting reevaluated for a return from a grade 2 hamstring injury. It's the closest the Nuggets have been to whole in weeks.
The Nuggets will take any help they can get in the standings. Even if it's something as odd as drama between teammates affecting their chemistry.