Dear Western Conference, Please Don’t Let the Clippers or Nuggets in the Playoffs

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The Western Conference Playoff race is serious, there’s no doubt about it. And while I’m all about the two weeks of madness that’s about to go down, I have only one request: PLEASE do not allow the Los Angeles Clippers or Denver Nuggets to sneak in.

As of Friday evening, the Rockets and Warriors have clinched playoff berths, while the Portland Trail Blazers are pretty much a stone-cold lock to follow their lead. From there, it’s a complete mess. There are only three games between the fourth-seeded Spurs and the 10th-seeded Nuggets, with the Timberwolves, Thunder, Jazz, Pelicans, and Clippers filling in the gaps (in order). Right now, the Clippers and Nuggets would be left out of the top-eight spots…and it needs to stay that way. They have little upside and make or a seriously crummy TV product.

I have to believe I’m not the only one who feels this way, save for folks from the Rocky Mountains and the handful of fans Doc Rivers’ bunch has. When compared to the teams ahead of them, they simply don’t have the star-power or entertainment value that I want to see in the playoffs. And even with that aside, there’s a world where the Spurs, Thunder, Pelicans, T’Wolves, or Jazz could knock off a powerhouse. You can’t say the same thing about the young squad out in Denver or the directionless Clippers.

Each team currently in the postseason deserves to stick and has a compelling case.

SAS: The Spurs (No. 4) are the legacy team. They’ve become a nationwide brand over the last 20 years and are synonymous with success. Having them out would be like having the Patriots out of the AFC Playoffs.

MIN: Minnesota (No. 5) has all the trimmings to shock the world in the Western Conference Playoffs — they just need to hang on and get their first. Top-tier coach? Check. Superstars? Check. Solid bench? Engaged fans? You betcha! If they can hold it together down the stretch, don’t be surprised if they win a playoff series. After all, anything can happen when you have this type of recipe.

OKC: Oklahoma City (No. 6) has the kind of star-power that draws big-time ratings come playoff time. Anyone who tells you they don’t enjoy watching Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony play together is lying. And with that trio, an upset is always a realistic possibility.

UTAH: The Jazz (No. 7) are a true wild card. I say that because they have a system that brings to mind the Virginia Cavaliers and Syracuse Orange: defense, defense, defense. And while I don’t know if they have the scoring to beat the Rockets or Warriors, everyone else is literally fair game. At the same time, they could easily get swept and it wouldn’t be shocking. Look at how the style played out in the NCAA Tournament: Virginia loses because they can’t score; Syracuse makes a run because their defense was clicking — you just don’t know with defense-first teams. What I do know, though, is that I want to find out how it unfolds.

NO: New Orleans (No. 8) also has star-power, thanks to Anthony Davis and his revolutionary talent. Although James Harden has the MVP locked up, Davis is right there in the conversation THIS YEAR. Plus, they have Rajon Rondo leading the offense. Don’t forget he practically won two games by himself last year against the top-seeded Boston Celtics. Had he not gotten injured, Rondo’s squad wins that series hands down. Oh yeah, he already has a ring and has 96 playoff games under his belt…and he can shoot now.

Then that brings us to the two teams I’m railing against — the Nuggets and Clippers. For starters, neither team has any history or cultural relevance. Neither team has a player that casual fans know of. And most importantly, neither team is actually good enough to beat one of the top-eight four times in seven games.

Denver was supposed to be good — especially after giving Paul Millsap $31 million this year — but they’re still average as can be. The Clippers, on the other hand, tore the whole thing down in preparation for the future. Instead of getting closer to a decent draft pick, though, they’ve gone deeper into the league’s middle-of-the-pack wasteland. Sure, they’ve been a decent story in the second-half, but if you can’t compete with good teams, why fight to be average?

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These guys serve nobody any good in the postseason; they’ll be rating killers to an otherwise loaded field. I know that. You know that. And you can bet the NBA’s brass knows that.