3 Reasons why the Timberwolves will move on to the Conference Finals
By Nate Ackert
2. Karl-Anthony Towns can cause Denver's defense problems with his floor-spacing ability
Karl-Anthony Towns played in just one game against the Nuggets this season—a 100-89 victory on November 1. In that game, Towns was a team-high plus-22 in 31 minutes of action.
But the difference in that game wasn’t Towns’ shooting…he didn’t shoot the ball well at all. He was 7-of-19 from the field, including 1-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Instead, the difference in this game was at the free throw line. The Wolves were a remarkable 26-of-27 from the free throw line in that game compared to Denver’s 7-of-10 clip.
The spacing Towns provides caused serious problems for this Nuggets defense. While Denver has some outstanding perimeter defenders in Peyton Watson, Aaron Gordon, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, they don’t possess an elite rim protector, and the Wolves have the talent to exploit that in this series.
There also isn’t an obvious defensive matchup for Towns on this Denver team. If he can get it going from the 3-point line, allowing the guards to attack the rim, the Nuggets should face some real problems defending Edwards and the Minnesota offense.