While many are expecting the Denver Nuggets/Minnesota Timberwolves to be a competitive series, it’s isn’t often that you see a prediction of Minnesota to advance. The Timberwolves had a roller coaster-like regular season, and the Nuggets ended on a 12-game winning streak.
It’s good to know that there are some out there who think the Timberwolves can, and will, win the series. On the latest episode of The Zach Lowe Show, Lowe previewed the playoffs with Kirk Goldsberry. Goldsberry is picking the Wolves and gave his main reason as to why by stating,
"I’m going to pick Minnesota in 7 games…here’s why. I don’t know if Denver can stop Minnesota’s offense. I think the biggest red flag in the whole Western Conference contender picture is the defense of the Denver Nuggets. Is it real, is it fake? Who is going to guard Anthony Edwards and who is going to slow down Anthony Edwards in this series?"
Goldsberry went against the majority with his selection of the Timberwolves. Will it turn out to be the correct one?
Defense has been an issue for Denver for much of the season
For the second straight year, the Nuggets ended the regular season ranked 21st in defensive rating. Their 117.5 defensive rating is the worst amongst the 16 playoff teams. Remarkably, even during their 12-game winning streak to end the season, they were only 17th in defensive rating over that time.
Part of it certainly has been due to injuries. Aaron Gordon, arguably the team’s best defender, was limited to just 37 appearances this season, mostly due to hamstring issues. Peyton Watson, certainly Denver’s best wing defender off the bench, missed 28 contests, including the last five.
Watson has been out with a hamstring injury and has already been announced as out for Game 1. There is a belief that the 23-year-old will miss the entire series. That’s a player gone who would be expected to man up Edwards often and at least make Ant-Man’s life a little more difficult.Â
Obviously, a team rostering Nikola Jokic is going to have an otherworldly offense, and Denver finished first in offensive rating. That’s partly why nearly everyone in the media is picking Denver to advance (including all 14 in ESPN’s first-round playoff prediction panel).
Exploiting a below-average defense would give the Timberwolves a chance to give them all an incorrect prediction in the first round.
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