The Golden State Warriors currently sit eighth in the West with a 17-16 record, so if the season ended today, they'd face either the No. 1 Thunder or No. 2 Spurs in the first round, but only if they made it past the play-in tournament. What could be worse than that? Well, playing the Nuggets in the play-in, which is now a possibility after Nikola Jokić hyperextended his knee on Monday.
Luckily, Jokić avoided a serious injury and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. Denver sits third in the West, three games back from No. 7 Phoenix. The Nuggets are now down four starters, and although Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun are expected to return sometime on their road trip, they could slip down into play-in range.
That can be a good or bad thing for the Warriors, who can climb up the standings amid the Nuggets' slew of injuries. If they don't, and Denver stumbles, imagine playing Jokić and Co. in the play-in. You actually don't want to imagine that.
Yes, Golden State beat Denver on opening night, but a few weeks after that, the Nuggets cruised to a 129-104 win over the Warriors. The stakes for a play-in game will be much higher than any regular-season contest.
Could the Warriors face the Nuggets in the play-in tournament?
You don't need the reminder that Golden State's championship window with Steph Curry is quickly coming to a close. This time last year, it looked like the Warriors wouldn't come close to doing so, but then they traded for Jimmy Butler and returned to their contender status in the second half of the season. Curry's hamstring injury in the second round of the playoffs ended their season sooner than hoped.
The West got stronger over the offseason, from the Rockets trading for Kevin Durant to the Nuggets elevating their depth. Playing in the conference may not be as daunting as most people thought, but the Warriors' road to another title won't be easy, especially not if their first stop is against Denver.
Nikola Jokić is Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray is Jamal Murray, and Gordon turns into even more of an all-around beast in the postseason. The Nuggets aren't the kind of team you want to run into before the playoffs even officially start.
Perhaps Denver will fare better than expected without Jokić, but that doesn't mean it won't be ugly. It just may not be as ugly. On top of the Nuggets' other injuries, it will be somewhat of a miracle if they tread water without him.
The Warriors need to control what they can and focus on taking care of the next opponent in front of them, which right now is the Hornets. Believe it or not, but the best way to avoid the play-in (and possibly the Nuggets) is to win.