Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray and the Nuggets face two critical games this weekend.
Each week, NBA.com’s writers will weigh in on some of the most important topics around the league.
What storylines are you paying attention to during the final weekend of the season and why?
Steve Aschburner
Since I’m an unabashed enthusiast of the Play-In Tournament, the final weekend of the season compels me to pay attention, even to games where one team is already locked into its final conference position. For example, Oklahoma City is set atop the West, but based on how the Thunder approach Friday’s game in Denver, it can influence where the Nuggets land. So there’s a level of gamesmanship at this late stage that isn’t always as clear with weeks rather than days remaining.
Meanwhile, a game like Toronto at New York on Friday is a possible first-round preview, so how do the teams play it? Aggressively, to deliver a message for what’s to come, or cagey, holding something back for when they’re locked into a best-of-seven?
Finally, end-of-season games are when we learn who the statistical champs officially will be, both by the numbers they put up in the final games and by the 65-game rule. (Caveat: I don’t let these games sway my awards ballots much, if at all. A player’s body of work speaks much more loudly than a gaudy stats night in a mostly meaningless game or two. As noted here.)
Brian Martin
The race for the final two guaranteed playoff spots in the East. Five teams – No. 5 Toronto, No. 6 Atlanta, No. 7 Orlando, No. 8 Philadelphia, and No. 9 Charlotte — are separated by just two games with two games to play. Two teams will earn automatic playoff berths Sunday, while three head to next week’s Play-In Tournament. How that race plays out — potentially coming down to tiebreakers — will have my attention.
With the Kia NBA Rookie of the Year and Kia NBA MVP races coming down to the wire, will we see any closing statement games over the final weekend? Will we get another 50-piece from Cooper Flagg or a 3-point barrage from Kon Knueppel? How about another monster triple-double from Nikola Jokić, an efficient 40-ball from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or an otherworldly two-way performance from Victor Wembanyama (questionable for Friday) as a final impression before votes are cast?
Shaun Powell
A few dramatic morsels are remaining before the 82-game grind ends. Such as: Who drops to the No. 5 spot in the highly competitive West and doesn’t get home-court advantage in the first round? This is most likely a Lakers-Rockets issue. Also, speaking of the Lakers: How does L.A. finish with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves on the mend? The Lakers must quickly create and embrace a different system heading into the playoffs. Finally, what about the players needing that 65th game to remain eligible for awards, or come close enough to warrant a special circumstance? DonÄić, Victor Wembanyama and Cade Cunningham in particular?
John Schuhman
The great thing about the Play-In format is that every team has an advantage over the one behind it, and in both the East and the West, Play-In placement is on the line this weekend.
The most intriguing possible Play-In team is the Charlotte Hornets, who are a better squad than they look on the surface. Entering Friday’s game against the Pistons, the Hornets are 43-37 with a point differential of a team that’s 54-26. Their 43 wins have come by an average of 18.3 points, the largest average margin of victory in NBA history.
Jeff Zillgitt
A little more than a week ago, the Lakers were playing their best ball of the season and headed for the No. 3 seed and a first-round series with home-court advantage. Two injuries to two of the team’s best players, and the Lakers are now struggling with three straight losses. With the Lakers missing two 20-per-game scorers, what can they put together to secure the No. 4 or even No. 3 seed? They finish the season against the Suns, who are locked into the seventh seed, and the Jazz, who have been eliminated from the postseason.
Spots 5-10 in the East remain unsettled between Atlanta, Toronto, Orlando, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Miami. The Hawks and Raptors control their fate – if they win out, they will get the fifth and sixth seeds. The difference between finishing in the top six and earning a playoff spot compared to a spot in the Play-In format and a potential matchup against the two best teams in the East is significant.
