The Denver Nuggets are heading into the Western Conference playoffs with guaranteed home-court advantage in every series after clinching the No. 1 seed in the West.
After the Memphis Grizzlies lost in OT to the New Orleans Pelicans, they were mathematically eliminated from the race for the top seed. This is the first time in the Nuggets’ franchise history that they’ve been the top seed in the West.
The Nuggets came close to having the best record in the NBA during the 2018-19 season, but they were overtaken by the Golden State Warriors before the end of the regular season. This is the first season the Nuggets have been healthy since 2020, so it’s great to see them deliver on the proven quality we know they are.
Nikola Jokic Eyeing A Bigger Prize?
As the 2023 NBA MVP race has heated up, Nikola Jokic seems to voluntarily be stepping back from the race. He has been missing games and playing under 30 minutes in recent outings, not trying to pad his numbers and just help the Nuggets win games after going 1-3 in their last 4 games. With Joel Embiid dropping 52 points last night against the Celtics, it seems the award will be going to the Cameroonian this season.
Jokic and the Nuggets not making it out of the West is going to cause more damage to his reputation amongst fans and media members than finishing second or third in the MVP race. He is preparing himself for that challenge and will look to possibly bring the first NBA championship in history to Denver.
Jokic is averaging 24.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 9.8 assists this season and the Nuggets currently have a 52-27 record with 3 games left.
Source: fadeawayworld
