Ryan Blackburn: I would lean toward encouraging if the goal is to win a first round playoff series. The teams that are versatile, resourceful, and simply refuse to fail are generally the most successful in the first round. The teams that advance beyond that are the ones with the most talented team and/or player. The Nuggets are in that first stage right now. They are 29-14 in games that incur clutch time, the second best record in the league according to the NBA website. That resiliency bodes well for a first round matchup.
Evan Fiala: I’m a little pessimistic about this.