Spurs must be kicking themselves after shocking NBA playoff update

Even after their solid Game 1 win, the San Antonio Spurs should be kicking themselves for a baffling decision. They had the chance to help choose their second-round opponent by beating the Denver Nuggets during the final game of the regular season.

Instead, they opted to sit Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet. Had they played even just Kornet, they probably would have won.

Unfortunately, they didn't, and now the Nuggets appear poised to easily beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. Especially after a solid Game 1 win, where the Wolves looked out of sorts while Denver was already in postseason form.

A healthy Nuggets team is every bit the contender that the Oklahoma City Thunder and Spurs are. Now, the Spurs will have to face both teams en route to the NBA Finals.

Spurs should've beaten the Nuggets when they had the chance

Speaking of the Thunder, they should have a much easier path to the Western Conference Finals than San Antonio. They will face the winners of the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers series.

The Rockets shot an embarrassing 38% from the field without Kevin Durant. Even when they have him, they have struggled to score at times, and they probably won't fare much better against a top-ranked Thunder defense.

The Lakers could be a better opponent for OKC if fully healthy. The longer the Lakers series goes, the more likely Luka Doncic will return. Hopefully he will be ahead of a potential series with the Thunder.

The Spurs have a tougher path to the NBA Finals now

Nevertheless, it's clear that the Spurs will have a tougher path to the West Finals by having to face the Nuggets in the second round. Hopefully San Antonio will have an easier time playing the Blazers in the first round than they would have had they faced the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns will face the Thunder, hopefully giving them a tougher matchup, but San Antonio will have to beat both the Nuggets and Thunder to make the NBA Finals. Had the Silver and Black taken the final game of the regular season seriously, then the Thunder would have faced Denver.

Hopefully, it won't end up mattering for San Antonio, but it was a questionable decision then and a questionable one now.

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