There’s no way the Denver Nuggets aren’t focused on winning a championship. The path towards that goal this season could be icy, though, as they have struggled of late, and their outlook for the rest of the regular season doesn’t look hot. The reason? They have the league's toughest remaining schedule.
Per Tankathon, the combined winning percentage of the Nuggets’ opponents in their last 21 games is .539, just percentage points higher than that of the Dallas Mavericks. They still have to face two of the NBA’s best teams in this campaign, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, a total of five times. It’s worth noting that Denver has yet to beat either of them this year.
After losing in heartbreaking fashion to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver is now one game behind them for the No. 4 seed — and just one game ahead of the No. 6-seed Los Angeles Lakers — in the Western Conference standings.
Finishing sixth or lower would be bad news for the Nuggets
Considering the Lakers have the 11th-easiest remaining schedule based on Tankathon’s rankings, it’s possible the Nuggets could fall to sixth place in the West in the coming weeks. That’s certainly not the ideal scenario for Nikola Jokic and company, as that could mean playing the entire playoffs without homecourt advantage.
Well, some might argue that with the way the squad’s season has gone, it might actually be better for the Nuggets to start any playoff series on the road. They currently have a 21-12 record away from Ball Arena, the third-best road mark in the conference.
In contrast, Denver is 16-12 at home. It has finished a regular season with a better away record only once in franchise history. The last time it happened was the 2021-22 campaign, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to mention that the Nuggets’ playoff run ended in the first round that year.
The Nuggets need a strong finish
On the bright side, even if the Nuggets’ gauntlet of opponents in the next six weeks might be more formidable than that of the other teams, they still have one of the league’s best duos. And if Jokic and Jamal Murray are at the top of their game, they are hard to beat.
The problem right now for the club is that the supporting cast has been a bit inconsistent of late. However, once Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson recover from their injuries, Denver may be able to finally turn things around.
It’s important for the Nuggets to finish the regular season on a strong note, regardless of whether the wins come at home or on the road. They want to enter the playoffs with momentum on their side. Their hopes of reclaiming the throne after three years could rest on it.