The Denver Nuggets have clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the first time in franchise history.
With just a couple of games remaining in the regular season and with the NBA Playoffs quickly approaching, the Denver Nuggets have officially accomplished something that the team has never done throughout their franchise history – the Nuggets have secured the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference heading into the playoffs.
The Nuggets will have homecourt advantage throughout the West playoffs and if any team is going to make it to the NBA Finals, they’ll have to get through Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.
It’s a great accomplishment for a team that looks to take advantage of what has been an otherwise down year in the Western Conference. Without a clear favorite in the conference, this could finally be the year where a team like the Nuggets breaks through. Throughout their recent run over the past four years, Denver has made it to one conference finals but has lost in the second round twice.
If there’s any year in which the Nuggets are going to make a run to the NBA Finals, this has to be it. And as they begin to make that journey, they now know that they’re going to have homecourt to back them up in the West bracket.
Should the Denver Nuggets be considered the favorites?
The big question heading into the playoffs for Denver is whether or not they should be considered the favorites. But that’s a difficult question to answer.
Over the course of the regular season, the Nuggets have consistently been the best team in the West. I don’t think there’s much to argue about that. But this team is not going to be judged by the regular season. The Nuggets are beyond that.
The Nuggets are heading into this postseason run with some expectations. If they don’t make a deep run, there could be some big changes on the horizon. While it’s not a do-or-die playoff run for the Nuggets, it could certainly be viewed as one of those situations where you ask “if not now, then when?”
The good news is that the Nuggets have accomplished everything they could’ve in the West by now. They have the best record in the conference and will have a homecourt advantage in every series in the West playoff bracket. Now it’s time to see if they can carry their regular season success into the playoffs.