The Wolves and Nuggets are in a late-season battle for the best record in the West.
There are only 10 days left in the 2023-24 NBA regular season. What could possibly go wrong? Or right?
Well, plenty. Playoff positions are still up for grabs. Teams are scrambling. This time of year was once a relaxing stretch before the postseason for many, but the introduction of the SoFi Play-In Tournament changed all that. It’s intense now.
Here are 10 storylines for the final 10 days:
1. Joel Embiid returns, Sixers regroup
He’s back. Does that mean the Sixers are, too? There’s intrigue in Philly, where the Sixers are worth watching between now and … well, wherever the Sixers finish in the East.
Embiid was a strong Kia MVP favorite and the Sixers were the last team to occupy first place in the East before the Celtics took it for good. Then his knee injury cost him 29 games. The Sixers, as expected, dropped without him.
But now? The Sixers will try to finish top-six. Even if they don’t, they’ll be a strong favorite to emerge from the Play-In. Should that happen, they’ll likely see the Celtics or Bucks in the first round, which will make folks in those towns squirm. Yet Embiid must return to form in a hurry — easier said than done.
2. Other injury returns
The most desperate injury-ravaged team is the Knicks, who are 13-14 since Feb. 1. They’re still awaiting the return of midseason acquisition OG Anunoby and, unfortunately, won’t be seeing Julius Randle again this season.
Jalen Brunson, the league’s fourth-leading scorer, has carried this team. Will this wear on him come playoffs?
There’s also the Play-In-bound Hawks, seeking good news on Trae Young. Much like Brunson, Dejounte Murray did the heavy lifting. Elsewhere, Jamal Murray and Brandon Ingram should suit up soon for the Nuggets and Pelicans. Karl-Anthony Towns (torn meniscus) and Tyler Herro (foot) might be ready for the Wolves and Heat by season’s end.
Malik Monk is looking at roughly four weeks with his MCL sprain. Will the Kings still be around?
3. West Play-In position
What was the most thrilling part of the 2023-24 season — Opening Week, Christmas Day, the In-Season Tournament? How about none of the above?
That’s because this ongoing star-filled drama in the belly of the West has it all.
The chase to avoid the Play-In has been fierce for weeks and is headed for possibly the final day before we see how it shakes out. Who knew we’d get so many meaningful games in mid-April? Any “contender” in the 4-10 spot that goes on a losing streak could quickly be in new territory.
4. East Play-In position
This isn’t nearly as suspenseful as the West, and half the field is essentially set — the Bulls and Hawks appear to be headed for a 9 vs. 10 matchup, loser goes home.
Several teams could fall to 7 and 8 since Boston is the only East team that has clinched a playoff berth. Miami made the NBA Finals last season from the Play-In Tournament, but it’s not the ideal place to build the case for going deep into the playoffs.
5. West best record chase
The Nuggets, Thunder and Timberwolves have been locked at the top for months. This is a photo finish; we’ll see who leans at the tape.
The Nuggets have the easiest remaining schedule — three of their final six are against lottery-bound teams — though their tip Wednesday against Minnesota could loom large.
The Wolves will own the tiebreaker over Denver and likely OKC as well, while the Thunder own the tiebreaker over Denver. What do the Nuggets own? The smallest margin for error.
6. Suns’ long finishing lap
Sunsets in Phoenix are supposed to be more glorious than this — a remaining schedule laced with crucial games against winning teams with something at stake.
The Suns have two with the Timberwolves (fighting for first place), two with the Clippers (fighting for first-round home court) and one each with the Pelicans and Kings (trying to avoid the Play-In Tournament).
They’re the most vulnerable of all teams at the cut-line, from a scheduling standpoint. Basically, this means the playoffs start now for a Suns team that isn’t guaranteed … to actually be in the playoffs.
7. Zion’s upsurge
All the jokes, memes and trolling that buried him following his flame-out in the In-Season Tournament semis have subsided. Not only is Zion Williamson healthy, but he also seems focused and is finally fulfilling some of the hope heaved upon him ever since those Pelicans employees danced on tables when he was drafted.
He’s shooting roughly 60%, averaging nearly 25 points and commanding double teams. He has been a force since the All-Star break. What this means: The NBA playoffs need Zion, and definitely vice-versa.
8. AD and Kawhi’s ability is availability
Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard have a solid chance to make All-NBA, a testament to their superb play this season at both ends. Well, truthfully it mostly meant they were healthy enough to reach the 65-game minimum required to enjoy that honor.
Davis has already played the most games in a single season since 2017-18 when he saw 75 for the Pelicans. That also represents the most Davis ever played in a season, which he can surpass if he plays it out.
Leonard won’t play Friday against Denver, but he can still match his 74-game season in 2016-17 if he plays each game after. He needs just two games to reach 70 for the first time since he played in San Antonio.
Given the rich injury history of the two stars and the swath of games missed, this represents a victory as much as it does a relief.
9. Clippers’ reset, Part II
When the Clippers went 27-5 following a rocky start to the James Harden trade, they looked like the most serious threat in the West to the defending champion Nuggets. And then, without warning or major injury, they caved, going 10-12, with bad home losses to the Hawks, Sixers and Pacers.
Can they recapture the image of a contender, or is this yet another Clipper illusion? We’ll know once they finish up a regular season stretch with two against the Suns and one each with the Cavs, Nuggets and Rockets.
It’s as if the Clippers lost their identity, found it and then lost it again, all in a few months. For sure, this is their best chance to cash in since adding Paul George and Leonard. And that was five years ago.
10. Bottom 3 chase for first Draft pick
We saved the last for last — the always intriguing and sometimes suspicious Race To The Bottom for best odds at the No. 1 pick.
The three teams with the worst records all get equal shots of 14% in the Draft lottery for that pick, and the Spurs, Wizards, Hornets, Pistons and Blazers are in the running. Five for three. Under the (safe) assumption they don’t win out, the Pistons and Wizards are all but assured two spots.
Once a long shot, the free-falling Blazers are positioned to steal a spot. They’re playing rookies and close out against the Celtics, then Pelicans, Warriors, Rockets and Kings, teams with something at stake. And their Friday game in Washington will be … interesting.
* * *
Shaun Powell has covered the NBA for more than 25 years. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.
