Canvas executives around the NBA and you’ll find an unnerving truth if you’re a team trying to improve ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline: Few teams have distinguished themselves as sellers.
Ahead of Denver’s Friday night tilt against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Nuggets were in first place in the West at 19-11. The Blazers were in eighth place, with just two fewer wins than Denver. It’s why, despite earning their best win of the season Tuesday over Memphis, Nuggets coach Michael Malone wasn’t doing backflips at the current standings. In mid-December, the only thing the standings can do is help validate the Christmas Day schedule.
Golden State began the year with designs on a championship defense, and they’re currently 15-18 and on the outside of the play-in picture. In fairness to Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, the Warriors couldn’t really punt on the season, right? They still have plenty of incentive to compete. The same goes for the Lakers, who find themselves a half-game behind the supposedly tank-tastic Oklahoma City Thunder. At this point, Los Angeles would be wise to pick a lane rather than straddle the confusing space between placating LeBron James and planning for his retirement. At least in the West, teams that few experts expected to contend have upended the supposed hierarchy. Well done, Utah and Sacramento. You’ve unwittingly contributed to a cloudy trade market.
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