Minnesota’s biggest challengers in the NBA Northwest division
By Brennan Sims
Denver Nuggets
Ah, we now come to Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly’s former team, the Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets were the sixth seed in the Western Conference; finishing in second place in the division with a record of 48-34. The Nuggets did so by relying on the brilliance of center Nikola Jokic, Fortunately, the Denver Nuggets avoided the play-in tournament without two of their most prominent players in Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.
Can the Timberwolves keep up with the Nugget’s high-powered offense?
Well, the Nuggets will get their offensive horses back. But the addition of Ruby Gobert takes the Timberwolves’ defense to the next level. This will be a classic heavyweight matchup when these teams square off. Nikola Jokic has gotten the best of Rudy Gobert in the past, most notably in the bubble when Denver overcame a 3-1 Utah lead. But Gobert is not alone, as he has a much better team beside him this time around, including Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Timberwolves have more upper-end talent than the Nuggets on paper. With two All-NBA caliber frontcourt players in Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert paired with dynamic guard Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves are one of the only teams that could realistically have three All-Star selections.
The Nuggets are a tough team, but beatable
Although Nikola Jokic is the back-to-back MVP and undoubtedly remains a Top-5 player in the league, his best running mates are returning from injury. The jury is still out on how they’ll perform. Playing devil’s advocate; both Murray and Porter Jr. are extremely skillful players that haven’t relied on athleticism, so they should be just fine in their returns.
Comparing wing defense may be a draw. The Denver Nuggets made defensive strides this off-season by trading for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and signing Bruce Brown. The Nuggets had a middling defense a season ago (15th of 30), so adding perimeter depth to assist their perimeter-stopper Aaron Gordon makes them a stronger squad.
Minnesota lost perimeter defense with the departures of both Patrick Beverley and Jarred Vanderbilt, but look for Jaden McDaniels to be a terror defensively again in 2023. Along with the new addition of former Memphis Grizzlies’ Kyle Anderson who brings sturdiness as a defender. Anthony Edwards taking a defensive step is something we’re hopeful for.
Look at Anthony Edwards, man. Completely brick walls Jackson, makes the right read to recover to run Kennard off the line, then takes the ball and goes flying by Mann for good measure
— Key Sang (@Phantele_) October 10, 2022
That summer work on his defense is legit. This is the stuff Leaps™ are made of pic.twitter.com/hOg80fLAqa
Both teams look to be among the NBA’s top offenses this season, but the Timberwolves to have a much-improved defense as well. With a great blend of shooting, playmaking, coaches on staff who aren’t afraid to make adjustments, and solid perimeter defense, these could easily be two of the best teams in the entire league.
Who finishes higher in the Northwest though? It could go either way if you want the honest truth. Health is key here as both teams must navigate through the NBA grind in 2023 over a long and grueling 82-game schedule. The Timberwolves have the better starting five on paper and should be able to reach a better win-loss record as a team if all goes according to plan. But when you have a special talent like Nikola Jokic and a competent roster built around him, you can never count his squad out.