The Nuggets were a preseason favorite to compete for the top-seed in the Western Conference with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Instead, they've been the victims of the injury bug, and it's left them depleted and grasping to stay afloat for at least the fourth-seed and a home playoff series. But another couple of losses could leave the Nuggets in a nightmare scenario that nobody would have thought was possible before the season began.
The Nuggets have been a top team in the NBA for years, and this group has one championship to show for it in 2022-23, but a trip to the play-in round and the seventh seed could be approaching if they don't figure it out soon.
And unfortunately, the road back up the standings to fourth, which is only another game ahead, is steep. The Nuggets have the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA, and they've been living it for the last nine games since the All-Star break ended. A stretch that's seen them go just 4-5.
Why the seventh seed would be so bad
The seventh seed in the NBA playoffs is not guaranteed a spot to advance. They have to play one game against the eighth seed to move on and keep the seventh spot. The loser plays the winner of the nine vs. ten game. The loser of that additional game goes home. The winner claims the eighth and final playoff spot and a date with the Thunder.
The Nuggets do not need that. At all. They've had enough injuries. Even one more game is more than unnecessary to expose the players to that risk.
Clutch games have to start going the Nuggets way
The Nuggets haven't been themselves this year in clutch games, and neither has Nikola Jokic. That has to change. The Nuggets are just 16-16 in clutch games for the season, but only 3-6 in their last 15 games.
However, help has returned to the lineup in the form of Aaron Gordon, who plays stellar defense, and he opens up the Nuggets' crunch-time offense as well.
While the Nuggets still have a 2.5 game cushion over the seven-seed Suns, it's not exactly a comfortable one, knowing the Nuggets have just been blown out at home by the Knicks. And they still have to play the Spurs three times and the Thunder twice.
The play-in round would just be a nightmare scenario in a season that has felt like a bad dream at times. The injuries started to mount as the calendar shifted to 2026, and the Nuggets have been an average at best team since. There are 18 games left to figure it out, or the nightmare will be on the doorstep of Ball Arena.