Timberwolves Season Series Preview: Denver Nuggets

This is the third part in our series previewing each of the Timberwolves’ opponents and the upcoming season series.

This piece examines the Denver Nuggets and how they’ll match-up with the Timberwolves during the 2016-17 season, in light of the season series from a year ago.

Tale of the Tape: Minnesota was only able to amass one victory last season over a Nuggets team that finished 11th in the Western Conference.

These games were all over the map, from the overtime shootout in Denver last December to one of the lowest combined scoring games in the NBA last season that saw a 78-74 loss for the Wolves last January.

I just so happened to be in attendance at that barn-burner in Minneapolis, and I was able to see the Nuggets expose one of the Timberwolves’ greatest weaknesses firsthand: Denver forced Minnesota to shoot from outside. Over the course of the four games, the Wolves only shot 42 percent from the floor, which was four tickets below their season average of 46 percent.

What’s new? The Nuggets failed to make a big splash or signing in the off-season, so there isn’t too much to talk about. Some points to note, however…

Wilson Chandler returns to Denver this season after missing all of last year with a hip injury. Expect to see him play quite a few minutes off the bench as long as he can remain healthy.

The Nuggets also had five draft picks this year, and there is one I would like to point out.

Jamal Murray was the seventh-overall pick from Kentucky, and his impact will be felt immediately in Denver. Murray was one of the best pure shooters in the NCAA last year, and his shooting ability alone will land him some valuable minutes behind Gary Harris.

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Key losses: Ty Lawson, Randy Foye

(Both of players left mid-season last year, however, they were still part of the match-ups with the Timberwolves in 2015-16.)

What’s the same? They say that the only constant is change, but that’s not true in the case of the Nuggets, as Denver returns nearly every important player from their 2015-16 campaign.

The role of Kenneth Faried continues to be an intriguing storyline. Do you remember when he was a member of the U.S. National Team just two years ago? His minutes took a hit last year, along with his production in terms of points and rebounds.

I see his production continuing to decline this year in favor of the two other young big men on the roster, Nikola Jokic and Jusef Nurkic. They lack the speed and athleticism of Faried, but their skill-sets extend the paint and cause match-up problems. These guys will be a handful for Minnesota’s bigs. Look out for Nurkic in particular, as he nursed an ankle injury for much of last year.

Also, expect big things from second-year point guard Emmanual Mudiay. This kid has all the potential to become a star in the league; he was a Second Team All-Rookie last season even after missing a quarter of it due to injury.

Mudiay has plenty to work on, especially his shooting and some issues with turnovers. When he refines these skills, he will be a force to be reckoned with. Similar in some ways to Zach LaVine, he has a lot of raw athletic ability. Watching these two go at it will be a key into how these games play out.

Finally, you can’t forget about Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton. Both have the ability to quietly score in bunches and take over a game in a hurry. Since neither of them are high profile, they are often forgotten about.

Both are above average mid-range shooters and above-average defenders, so they serve as dangerous threats on both ends of the floor. Barton specifically could cause match-up problems for bench guys like Brandon Rush and Shabazz Muhammad.

My prediction? Similar to the Timberwolves in some ways, Denver is a team that is trending upward, but still flying under the national radar.

Minnesota is a bit more talented and have progressed a bit more in my eyes, even though last season’s results didn’t show that.

I see Minnesota taking care of business at home, and taking at least one in Denver. The Nuggets are still in the process of finding an identity, and the Wolves need to take advantage of that. Attack from the elbow in, and make the Nuggets run.

The Wolves can’t afford any more 38 percent shooting games against a poor defensive team, of course. I’m excited to see if they expose that weakness in their preseason match-up in Lincoln on October 12th.

Next: Top-5 Kevin Garnett Games With The Timberwolves

The Timberwolves see the Nuggets for the first time in the regular season at Target Center on November 3rd.