The Denver Nuggets will not follow in the tradition of visiting the White House and the incumbent President as champions, with the franchise declining the invite to focus on the regular season.
“The Denver Nuggets are prioritizing the No. 1 seed. They wanna do all they can to get up to that spot going into the playoffs. I have a story on how serious they are with that goal. The defending champs were supposed to go visit the White House in late January, but the Biden Administration had a scheduling conflict. At some point in February, the visit was rescheduled for March 18th… They play the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minnesota on March 19th… The Nuggets have made the tough decision of canceling their White House trip to prioritize that Minnesota game because they’re doing everything they can to earn the No. 1 seed.”
Sources: With Denver Nuggets prioritizing No. 1 seed and a pivotal matchup at Minnesota upcoming, I explain on @NBAonTNT why the champs have elected not to visit The White House. pic.twitter.com/cjc4fwGE0O
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 8, 2024
There is no political motivation afoot here, as the Nuggets do have a game in Minnesota on March 19th. After playing the Dallas Mavericks on 17th March, the team would have to go to Washington D.C., and then to Minnesota for a must-win matchup. it’s a shame that the visit couldn’t happen in January as scheduled.
NBA teams haven’t been visiting the White House as often as they were from 2008 to 2016. NBA teams weren’t interested in visiting during Donald Trump’s tenure and weren’t invited either. We saw the Golden State Warriors celebrate their 2022 title in the White House, but the Nuggets won’t be doing the same.
The Race For The No. 1 Seed In The West Is Incredible
The No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference is a forgone conclusion with the Boston Celtics opening up an eight-game advantage over the rest of the field. That can’t be said for what’s happening in the West as teams are tripping over themselves trying to earn that No. 1 seed.
The current holders are the Timberwolves with a sensational 44-19 record this season. Unfortunately, they were dealt with the news that Karl-Anthony Towns has torn his meniscus and has an unspecified return timeline. A meniscus injury can take up to six weeks to return from, so Minny will look a little vulnerable.
Trailing the Wolves are the OKC Thunder with a 43-19 record. The Thunder have been prone to losing matchup-specific games but have one of the most consistent rosters in the NBA, which is praise-worthy given how young they are. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can likely win his first regular season MVP if the Thunder manage to secure the No. 1 seed in their first playoff appearance since 2020.
The Nuggets are a proven championship group that has indicated their desire to earn the No. 1 seed, so Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray will hope their experience and strength are enough to lead them ahead of the Wolves and Thunder. They currently trail the Wolves by 1.5 games, so their March 19th clash could have significant consequences.
The Clippers have an outside shot and are currently three games behind the top. Nonetheless, this is turning out to be an incredible battle that likely stretches into the final games of the regular season.
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