Denver Nuggets
Current Record: 36-40
Standings: 4th in Division, 9th in Conference
In some ways you have to feel bad for the Denver Nuggets. They didn’t have all that high of expectations this season, but they still played well above them and looked like a shoe-in for the eighth seed in the Western Conference for much of the regular season.
However, even their solid 8-7 month of March hasn’t been enough to match wits with a Portland team that went off the charts last month, logging an NBA best record of 13-3 in March. That surge has put the Blazers a full two games behind the Nuggets despite the fact that it wasn’t long ago at all that they trailed Denver by multiple games.
Thus, the Nuggets’ playoff hopes have certainly taken quite a dive as they have a significant amount of ground to make up and little time to do it. One thing that’s for certain, though, is that Denver ought to be cheering hard for the Jazz as Utah will take on the Blazers twice in this final stretch of games and if the Jazz arise victorious in both contests, it will give Denver’s chances a significant boost.
Last night was one big highlight reel. #Nuggets https://t.co/8kSPxRK94Z
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 3, 2017
The Nuggets and Blazers also have relatively similar strengths of schedule down the stretch, but the Nuggets’ path is somewhat easier. The opponents in their six remaining games (Pelicans twice, Rockets, Thunder twice, Mavericks) have a combined .514 record, while the Blazers’ final six opponents (Timberwolves twice, Jazz twice, Spurs, Pelicans) are a combined .538.
Of course even if Utah is able to do Denver a solid and knock off the Blazers twice, there’s no denying that the Nuggets will have a tall task of their own to face in two match-ups against the Thunder as well as a contest against Houston. Nevertheless, when looking at both teams’ remaining schedules, it’s clear that Denver still has reason for optimism and a strong finish could potentially push them back into the playoff picture where they’ve stood for most of the season.
Nevertheless, while that’s certainly a possibility, I’m just not convinced that Denver will be able to pull it off. Portland has been on an absolute tear lately and the Nuggets’ overall youth and inexperience may prove to be too much for them to find a way to grind their way back into the playoffs. Thus it’s quite likely that Denver will end up right where they’re at, at fourth in the division and just one spot out of playoff contention.