In last season's playoffs, the Minnesota Timberwolves did what few people expected as they shut down the Denver Nuggets' high-powered offensive attack. The vaunted duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray struggled mightily against Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels, respectively. Jokic shot just 44.6 percent from the field, and Murray shot 35.7 percent and 28.9 percent when McDaniels was guarding him.
This, along with the Timberwolves attacking Denver's weak links on defense, led to a six-three upset. If you watched the Nuggets' opening-night game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, one could've easily thought of this Wolves series. The Thunder toppled the Nuggets 96-84, shutting down Denver's high-powered offense in a similar manner to the Timberwolves.
Jokic shot 5-for-19 from the field, scoring 13 points, while Murray shot 2-for-11 from the field and scored six points. If you can shut down this two-man game, then you can beat the Nuggets. Minnesota showed the world that in the playoffs, and OKC built on this blueprint.
The combination of what the Thunder did on Thursday night and what the Wolves did in the playoffs proves that this Nuggets offense is highly schemable. OKC's success should make the Wolves even more confident about separating themselves from Denver in the regular season and/or toppling them in a possible playoff rematch.
The Thunder shut down the Nuggets much like the Timberwolves did in April
In fairness, OKC's approach was slightly different than Minnesota's. While the Wolves essentially glued Jaden McDaniels on Murray and Rudy Gobert on Jokic, it was more of a collective effort from the Thunder. Jaylin Williams (J-Will) and Isaiah Hartenstein mainly guarded Jokic, with Williams holding him to 1-of-8 shooting. Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams (J-Dub), and Alex Caruso all shared reps on Murray.
The approach was a bit different from that standpoint. However, the strategy was eerily similar. Limit Jokic and Murray with physicality and take away the two-man game. This strategy is particularly effective since the Nuggets (like many teams) are incredibly reliant on their two stars.
Now, I must say not every team has the defensive personnel to shut these two players down in the way that the Wolves and Thunder did. Simply put, you need an elite level of defense to play this style.
Unfortunately for the Nuggets, Minnesota and OKC are two of the top teams in the West, and there's now a clear blueprint for how to stop their offense. The San Antonio Spurs could certainly play a similar style; the Houston Rockets might even be able to, though I'm dubious about their frontcourt against Jokic.
Look, the Nuggets aren't going to magically miss the playoffs, and their offense won't free fall. Regardless, between their weak links on defense and how several contending teams can limit their offense, they have a clear ceiling. The Timberwolves created this blueprint, and the Thunder highlighted that Minnesota's strategy wasn't a flash in the pan.
As the Timberwolves try to climb the mountaintop and challenge the Thunder and Spurs, not having to worry much about the Nuggets is a clear blessing.
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