Now that we have come to the end of the regular season and before we start looking ahead to the series with the Lakers, let’s take a quick look back at the last 82 games.
With the victory against the Grizzlies in the last game of the season they Nuggets have won 50 games. That is an accomplishment simply for the reason that the Denver Nuggets have not won 50 games for 20 years. The only teams (other than the Bobcats) who have not won 50 games at least once over those 20 years are the Wizards, Raptors and Clippers.
That is not the kind of company that you want your team to keep.
So yes, congratulations are in order for this team finally breaking the 50 win barrier.
Now for the shot of realism. The 2007-2008 Denver Nuggets were put together to do better than that.
No matter how well they did in the regular season, they knew they would be judged on how far they progressed through the playoffs. Another first round exit was not acceptable for this squad. However, they knew that a good regular season was vital to their goal of making a playoff run. The Nuggets players were aware that they needed home court advantage and thus a good regular season record.
Over the last ten seasons 50 wins in the Western Conference has only resulted in having home court advantage in the first round once. I think a big deal is made out of 50 wins because it is a nice round number, but 50 win seasons are not rare. There have been at least five 50 win teams in the west in nine of the past ten years. At least one third of the teams in the west produce 50 win seasons nearly every year.
Is that really such an exclusive club?
For a team that was supposed to be a contender much more was expected, but as I mentioned, they still have a shot at reaching or surpassing the expectations that really matter.
If the Nuggets make it past the Lakers will any of us remember this season as the one they underachieved their way to 50 wins or the year they pulled another upset as the eighth seed and made a playoff run?
But we will have time to address the playoffs while awaiting the start of the Nuggets/Lakers series on Sunday. That’s right, Sunday.
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