On Sunday, the Minnesota Timberwolves secured the sweep, eliminating the Phoenix Suns. It was Minnesota’s first 4-0 series victory in franchise history. However, the journey isn’t over. The day after, the defending champion Denver Nuggets completed their dominant 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, the series is set. It will be the Timberwolves vs. the Nuggets for a berth in the Western Conference Finals and a chance at an NBA title. It would be an upset for the Timberwolves to beat the Nuggets, but it isn’t impossible. Here are three keys to their victory.
3 Keys for the Timberwolves to Upset the Nuggets
1. Contain Perimeter Scorers
The Nuggets are propelled by top star Nikola Jokic. Everyone knows this. Thus, many coaches have tried every strategy imaginable to contain Jokic. Usually, it doesn’t work. Jokic is a two-time MVP, six-time All-Star, and five-time All-NBA selection for a reason. There isn’t anybody in the league that can stop Jokic for a whole series. That presents a tough quandary: how do you stop the Nuggets if you can’t stop Jokic? The answer is to try to stop his teammates. Jokic’s main costars, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., are far more inconsistent and prone to going cold than Jokic is. The path for the Timberwolves to slow down the vaunted Nuggets offense lies in slowing them down.
However, there is a problem. The Timberwolves are built as an interior-focused team. Their defense is anchored by Rudy Gobert, who has a noted weakness in perimeter defense. The same goes for Karl Anthony-Towns. These two big men are lockdowns in the paint but not so much on the perimeter. To have a chance to upset the Nuggets, they, along with the rest of the Timberwolves, must step up as perimeter defenders. They must contain or at least slow down Murray and Porter Jr., or else the series is lost.
2. Gobert Must Step Up as Scorer
The Timberwolves are the number-one scoring defense in the league. They are first in opposing points per game at 106.5 and first in defensive rating at 109.0. Unfortunately, they are not the best scoring offense or even the top 10 in offense. They are 16th in the league in both points per game and offensive rating. They have great pieces for an offense with Anthony Edwards, Towns, and Mike Conley. However, they just can’t seem to put it together. The main reason for this is Gobert. The three-time DPOY is the consensus best defender in the league, but he is very limited offensively. In contrast to the Timberwolves, the Nuggets are fifth in offensive rating and are one of the best offenses in the league, captained by Jokic, the best offensive player.
For the Timberwolves to compete with the Nuggets, Gobert needs to step up his offensive output. The Timberwolves cannot compete with the Nuggets and Jokic if Gobert plays at his usual level of offense. He doesn’t need to be Jokic, but he must step up as a post player and effective interior scorer for the Timberwolves to have a shot at beating the Nuggets.
3. Timberwolves Must Sustain System without Head Coach
The Timberwolves’ incredible turnaround from the league’s laughingstock to championship contender was fueled by head coach Chris Finch. Finch’s innovative scheming and stellar team management have helped turn Minnesota into a fearsome basketball machine. However, Finch unfortunately suffered a torn patellar tendon during the Sunday game against the Suns when point guard Conley collided with him on the sidelines. He is expected to have surgery. He will not be able to be on the sidelines leading the Timberwolves for at least the first game vs. the Nuggets, if not the whole series. This is undoubtedly a huge blow for the team.
The team must lean on team leaders Gobert and Conley, as well as acting head coach Micah Nori, to continue Finch’s goal of making the Timberwolves a championship squad. The players and Nori must continue to call Finch’s system and keep the traits that made them successful even in Finch’s absence. It is an unfortunate event for the head coach to suffer an injury. Those are very rare. However, the Timberwolves must be resilient in the face of Finch’s injury, or they will not be able to upset the champs.
The Last Word
It’s an exciting time to be a Timberwolves fan. Minnesota hasn’t been this successful or had this much hope since the Kevin Garnett era. However, for the train to keep moving, they must upset Denver. The deck is stacked against them, but the upset can happen if they can lock in their perimeter defense, improve their interior offense, and maintain stability amid Coach Finch’s injury. Whatever happens, it will surely be an exciting series between the Timberwolves and the Nuggets.
