Spurs' playoff "boogeyman" is all hype (And Nuggets fans know it)

We have lost the plot, ladies and gentlemen. The Spurs are coming off a 62-20 season nobody expected, and there are media members and fans alike slandering the organization for losing the final game of the year to the Nuggets. The loss put Denver on the same side of the playoff bracket as Mitch Johnson's ball club, and that's intimidating to some, but here's my take on it: so what?

First of all, nobody should be too concerned about what may or may not happen in round two when the first round has yet to be played. That's getting ahead of yourself. Nothing is guaranteed in the postseason, so the focus should be on whether the Suns or Trail Blazers will be their first opponent and how they'll fair in that series.

But since this topic is raging so heavily that ESPN is leading multiple shows with it, let's dive into why the panic and disrespect are outrageous.

The Nuggets aren't special enough to worry the Spurs

As great as Nikola Jokic is, Denver has been to the conference finals twice in his career and only once in the last five years. They've struggled to make it out of the second round. This isn't an unbeatable team, and outside of their championship season three years ago, they never have been.

If the reason for your fear stems from the season series between the two ball clubs, it's unwarranted. Victor Wembanyama only played in one of those games, and in it, they led by 20 points on the road. Sure, they lost, but it took overtime, all-time greatness from the Joker, and several other breaks to go their way. That's not a reason to be intimidated by them.

San Antonio also beat them without Wemby in their first meeting when there were actual stakes in the NBA Cup semi-finals. They don't carry the same weight as the playoffs, but all of the players were clear about how much they wanted to win that tournament. Beating them in that environment wasn't nothing. Take the series with a grain of salt.

Great players lose in the NBA Playoffs all the time

There are multiple great players in every era, but only one team can advance in a playoff round. That means that no matter how elite you are, you can be, and generally will be, beaten in the postseason quite often. Nuggets fans will tell you that themselves, since they've lost in the second round way more times than they've advanced.

Denver has a triple-double monster in Nikola Jokic and awesome pieces around him, resulting in an awesome offense. San Antonio's offense has been just as good since the beginning of February—122.2 OFF RTG for SA vs. 121.5 for DEN—and they weren't far off before that. Their defense is far superior, too. That will play a significant factor.

Ultimately, this is the approach you want to see from your team anyway. The mindset of a champion requires the confidence to take on all comers. If they're scared of an opponent, they've already lost. They earned the second best record in the league for a reason, and if anything, everyone else should be worried about having to face San Antonio in consecutive games.

If you're one of the fans worried, get that fear out of your heart and replace it with unwavering confidence. This team has already proven that they can beat anyone. Believe them.