July 27th 2024.
Have you ever heard the saying, "He who controls the No.1 seed in the NBA's Western Conference controls their own destiny in the postseason"? It's a common belief that the team with the best record in the West will ultimately come out on top. And if we look at the past 35 NBA Finals, it's hard to argue with that logic. The top seed has represented the Wild West 18 times, including most recently in 2023 when the Denver Nuggets, led by their star center from Serbia, took home the championship trophy.
But despite this conventional wisdom, some of us here at Grading The Week can't help but remember the events of this past postseason. And in particular, May 2019, when it seemed like CJ McCollum, then with the Portland Trail Blazers, couldn't miss a shot against the Nuggets at Ball Arena. It's moments like these that make us wonder if there's more to winning in the playoffs than just securing the No.1 seed.
Even Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who recently signed with the Orlando Magic, seems to think so. During a recent appearance on Draymond Green's podcast, he didn't hold back in explaining why the defending NBA champs, the Golden State Warriors, struggled against the Lakers and Timberwolves in the playoffs. In his words, they were simply exhausted from the grind of trying to secure the top spot in the regular season. "We felt like the Lakers should've beat us," KCP admitted, "we were running on fumes."
This brings us to the Denver Nuggets, who may have pushed too hard for that coveted No.1 seed. Head coach Michael Malone has since acknowledged that he may have overworked his star players in April, in an effort to clinch home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. And it's hard to blame him, considering the success that top seeds have had in the past. Plus, playing at Ball Arena, with its high altitude and raucous fans, has always been a challenge for opposing teams.
But as we've seen in recent years, conventional wisdom doesn't always hold up. In fact, the last decade has seen a shift in the importance of home court advantage in the playoffs. Since 2016, there have been 21 Game 7s in the NBA playoffs, and the home team has only won 9 of those matchups. And in the last two seasons alone, the home team has only won 4 out of 12 Game 7s. Even the Nuggets, who have historically been a tough opponent at home, have a record of 1-2 in Game 7s played at Ball Arena.
So maybe there's something to be said for having fresh legs come playoff time. And speaking of fresh, let's talk about Javonte Williams. The Broncos' running back recently revealed that he's slimmed down to 221 pounds, thanks to the advice of his coach. While Williams credits his coach, we can't help but think that there may have been some subtle encouragement from Sean Payton, who's known for his tough love approach. But if it means more plays like Williams' infamous run against the Ravens, where he broke multiple tackles and carried defenders with him, then we're all for it.
And while we're on the topic of snacks, we have to give a failing grade to Takis. Williams admitted that this particular brand of chips contributed to his weight gain, and we can only imagine his agent cringing at the mention. But as fans, we can't help but appreciate Williams' honesty. And if it means more playing time for him and more spicy snacks for us, then we're all for it.
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