The Western Conference is not an easy conference. We know this.
Heading into the 2018-19 season, it’s probably the best it has ever been.
Last season, the Nuggets finished 10 games above .500 and they did not make the playoffs. They can thank the Timberwolves for that, a team that beat the Nuggets in Game 82 to clinch its first playoff appearance since 2003-04.
Minnesota finished with a regular-season record of 47-35. Thirty-four of those wins came against the Western Conference. Their record of 34-18 against the West matched Golden State and Utah for the second-best record in the West-only matchups.