The Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets have faced off against each other numerous times recently, and it seems like every game is always going to be a show. This series won't be any different, and while the Nuggets are deservedly the favorites, the Timberwolves shouldn't be counted out. Their ability to win this series will be centered on three questions that they'll need to find an answer to.
Will the Timberwolves be able to slow down Nikola Jokic?
Nikola Jokic is so good. He's the type of player you'll never really "stop", so you must find ways to at least slow him down. The Wolves will have to decide which way they want to do this, because you can't take away everything. Do the Wolves throw everyone at Jokic and try to take away his scoring, or do they allow him to get 40 points every night and do everything they can to negate the others?
If I'm choosing, I'm letting Jokic score as much as he wants. He's such a dangerous playmaker, and he's able to elevate the players around him to be better than what they are. If the Wolves can shut the water off with guys like Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Christian Braun, they'll have a good chance. As good as Jokic is, he can't outscore the entire Wolves roster.
Who will be the Timberwolves' second option on offense?
The easy answer to this question is Julius Randle. He was the second option all season, so why would that change? However, Julius is going to have a tough task going up against Aaron Gordon, another brawny forward who can match Randle's physicality. Not to mention, a lot of his energy is going to be used up playing on-ball defense against Nikola Jokic.
I would look for Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu to each have big series. In the regular season against Denver, he averaged 20.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. They don't really have a matchup for a guy with his blend of length and skill. Dosunmu also thrives in breaking the paint and creating, and the Nuggets don't have the rim protection to make Ayo steer away from that.
What will the Timberwolves' bench look like?
The staples of the bench will obviously be Naz Reid and Ayo Dosunmu (although I think Dosunmu should start over Donte DiVincenzo). But after that, I think you'll see a lot of Kyle Anderson as the pseudo-backup center and Bones Hyland. Anderson, as the backup center, provides a different dynamic to the offense and defense.
Terrence Shannon Jr could even have a role. He and Bones could be important due to how quickly they are able to create offense in transition. Having them as spark plugs off the bench could catch Denver on its heels. Finch probably won't run a 10-man rotation, but all five of these guys will likely have some sort of a role in this series.