Many things about this season have been drastically different than the previous two for the Nuggets, but as we are about to hit the All-Star break, an all too familiar conundrum has presented itself.
In each of the past two seasons, the Nuggets have played their starters heavy minutes down the stretch of the regular season, battling for playoff seeding. In 2024, they battled until the final day of the season to secure the two seed and homecourt advantage in round two, but the team wore down in the playoffs and lost on their home floor in game 7 to an energetic Timberwolves team.
Then last season, they made a similar mistake in chasing homecourt in round one, which they managed to hold onto. It helped get them through a brutal first-round matchup with the Clippers, but again, the team was beaten and bruised by the Western Conference Semifinals, and they were outlasted by the Thunder.
Now this season, there are just 27 games left in the season, and the Nuggets find themselves in the same predicament. The team is a very solid 35-20. They’ve withstood one ridiculous injury after another, and yet, they’re in third place in the West.
Nuggets should prioritize health over seeding
But this time around, Denver must get it right. They won the title in 2023 as the one seed, and they’ve been chasing that advantage ever since. In reality, the Nuggets didn’t win it all due to home-court advantage. It was because the team was fresh and healthy. They locked up the top seed early on and got to rest up down the stretch.
Once the playoffs began, they were ready to unleash hell, and that’s exactly what they did, cruising to a championship. They need to recognize that and make sure they are focused on the right things over the last 27 games.Â
Let’s face it, the number one seed is out of reach. The Spurs have opened up a four-game lead in the loss column over Denver, and that may be almost out of reach as well. And that’s okay. They’re not going to have homecourt against OKC. They’re not going to have homecourt against the Spurs. So what?
As long as they’re full strength, they can beat any team, in any arena. If the team is compromised in any way, that becomes a lot harder, even in the comforts of Ball Arena. The Nuggets should do everything they can to get guys rest down the stretch and hit the postseason as close to full strength as possible.Â
There's a new head coach and front office in town, plus the roster is much deeper. There's reason to believe the organization has learned from past mistakes and won't repeat them. Let's hope so.
Seeding be damned. Home court advantage be damned. Even All-NBA and award eligibility be damned. The goal is winning another title at all costs, and making sure everyone is at their best for the playoffs is crucial to reaching that goal.