I think it is ridiculous how the NBA did not give any tangible regular season benefit to teams advancing in the IST. I think I actually hope that Nuggets win tonight but by not enough to grab a wild card spot. If they make it as a wildcard:
i) They would play on the road in the first round so might end up with fewer home games on the season than road games.
ii) Those qualifying are probably stronger than average teams so the strength of schedule is increased slightly.
iii) If make the championship game it is an entire extra game to play.
A better way to state my position is “I want my team to maximize their chances for the actual championship”. If they make the Wildcard I will root for them of course. Regarding the birds analogy I consider the actual championship an immensely better bird.
what kind of birds do the two trophies represent
this is very important