Is this T Wolves team better than anyone Nuggets faced last playoffs?

[NO-KG-AI]

I just don’t feel like a 16th ranked offense is going to take the playoff Nuggets. Their execution and ability to get quality looks is so good down the stretch of games, it’s going to be very hard for a team that has some clunkiness on offense to out score them when it gets really tight.

I don’t think they get swept or anything, but I don’t think Anthony Edwards attacking over and over is going to be enough to give the Nuggets a super close series either. They need some tweaksnand growth still.

[nomansland]

Sure, it's a pretty fair statement. The Lakers were tired and hobbled, the Heat didn't match up when it came to talent, the Suns' bench was a disaster, Minnesota played them pretty well without McDaniels. So yeah, you could probably say that.

[bananazn]

The Nuggets faced this same team last year.

And yeah Ant’s better now than he was 12 months ago but it’s pretty much the same roster the Nuggets played in round 1 last season.

A roster with rudy battling with his back injury all year without Naz and Jaden is pretty much the same roster I guess
The same roster that jumped from being the 10th defense last year to 1st

[DrModesty]

I think Boston, Min and OKC would be for sure better than the teams Denver beat last year. I think Dallas and NY would be too should they manage to get deep enough in to the playoffs to face them, given who they'd have to beat to get there.

[hardenASG13]

Were they really their toughest matchup last year? I think only Bruce was on record saying that... The nuggets beat them pretty easily games 1-3. I know they lost game 4, but they almost came back to win it. I'd think it was the team that took 2 games from them.

And this year's Twolves are much better than last years Suns.

[durden_tyler]

Just maturity alone, you know they are better already. Then chemistry, that vastly improved too.

Yes, they are capable of beating the defending champions.

[cupcakesnake]

The Nuggets faced this same team last year.

And yeah Ant’s better now than he was 12 months ago but it’s pretty much the same roster the Nuggets played in round 1 last season.

Wolves were without Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels for the entire series, then Anderson got hurt in Game 4.

Not only that but Gobert and Towns are quite a bit healthier for this series than they were for last years. Last years series we were down to a 6-man rotation by the end. This year we fully go 9-deep with healthier, better stars.

[B-easy]

I wonder what people would say if Denver won 4-1. "oh Wolves weren't that good anyway"...

[Lockdown504090]

I wonder how the 4/5matchups work. They keep putting Rudy on joker, but they could try having kat guard him and let gobert be the roamer since they rotate so well. And then on the other end they can try putting g Gordon in screening actions with ant. and make jokic the low defender as opposed to Gordon.

[F Saunders]

Keep in mind that last year, Denver played:
Wolves (42 wins)
Suns (45 wins)
Lakers (43 wins)
Heat (44 wins)

I think it might be fair to say the 47 win Laker team this year would be better than anyone the Nuggets faced last playoffs.

Think what you want about the Timberwolves (56 wins), but they've won 11 more games than anyone Denver faced last year, and have played them fairly tough the past two seasons. I still think Denver deserved the title last year (not up to them who they play) and ultimately prevails in the series, but barring any injuries, this should be their biggest playoff test in two years.

[F Saunders]

I wonder how the 4/5matchups work. They keep putting Rudy on joker, but they could try having kat guard him and let gobert be the roamer since they rotate so well. And then on the other end they can try putting g Gordon in screening actions with ant. and make jokic the low defender as opposed to Gordon.

What do you mean they keep putting Rudy on Joker? The analysts predicting the series matchups? With the two healthy bigs, KAT has been the one guarding Jokic with Rudy on Gordan as roamer, unless KAT is in foul trouble.

[AbeVigodaLive]

The Nuggets beat the Timberwolves last playoffs in 5 games with a +44 point differential. Their team this season is largely the same although I do agree they have better chemistry and players like Anthony Edwards have improved. The question is how much have they improved?

If the Nuggets end up sweeping the Timberwolves or eliminating them rather easily then that absolutely means all this pre-series hype and high expectations were premature. It would mean the expectations were simply too high and too soon for a young star which would be disappointing because it can overshadow the great season the Timberwolves had despite whatever happens next in the playoffs. They're an exciting up-and-coming team from a small market that's easy to root for.

In regards to what players have said then that's their opinion which they're entitled too and we're just going to agree to disagree. The Timberwolves are a good team but it seems I'm in the vast minority here so far when it comes to how I think they'll fair this next series and how competitive the games will be overall. I could be totally wrong and they shock me and take the Nuggets to 7 or beat them but I just haven't seen enough right now.

Dude... if a team goes from 42-40 with a -.22 srs to 56-26 with a 6.39 srs some pretty serious improvement happened. Now granted they could still lose in 5 but the Wolves this year are a way better team.

I'm aware of the Timberwolves record improvement but a huge difference is Karl Anthony Towns was injured for a large chunk of last year's regular season and only played in 29 games but he also came back and played in every playoff game against the Nuggets. This season KAT has played 62 regular season games which rightfully has reflected on their improved record and srs.

Nobody said they're not a better team. I've admitted Ant has improved and their chemistry has improved. The disagreement is in the hype and degree that we think they've improved to close the gap against the Nuggets. If they still lose in 5 this year with a relatively large point differential then that proves my point. If it's much more competitive in a 7 game series or maybe they even beat the Nuggets then I was wrong and late on their hype train. All this of course barring significant injuries.

Again... it's already been written multiple times in this thread...

- Jaden McDaniels did not play in the playoffs last season.
- Naz Reid did not play in the playoffs last season.
- Kyle Anderson was injured in game 4.

And as also mentioned... it's possible for a team to improve from one season to the next. It's one thing to try to figure out how to pair Gobert and Towns after Towns misses 50+ games... and quite another to build cohesiveness over 86 games together.

The Timberwolves have not been "largely the same." This is pretty basic stuff.

[mcmurphy]

Keep in mind that last year, Denver played:
Wolves (42 wins)
Suns (45 wins)
Lakers (43 wins)
Heat (44 wins)

I think it might be fair to say the 47 win Laker team this year would be better than anyone the Nuggets faced last playoffs.

Think what you want about the Timberwolves (56 wins), but they've won 11 more games than anyone Denver faced last year, and have played them fairly tough the past two seasons. I still think Denver deserved the title last year (not up to them who they play) and ultimately prevails in the series, but barring any injuries, this should be their biggest playoff test in two years.

The best teams are those that reach the end of the playoffs (unless there are injuries), especially in 7-game series...

Is it Denver's fault if Boston is a paper tiger?
Last year they won 57 games in RS with the best NetRtg of the entire League but when the tension rose they lost 2 games in the first round, 3 in the second and went home in the Conference Final.

[LeBronSpaghetti]

Depends. If the Nuggets win this series then the Wolves are trash and Denver hasn’t ever actually beaten a good team.

Sorry, I don’t make the rules!

[Alatan]

I think so. Furthermore if Wolves beat the Nuggets, witch i think is likely, they will go and win it all. They look like the best team in the playoffs so far. The only things that could hold them back is a lack of coaching adjustments if Finch misses games and Towns being a bonehead. Injuries of course could end their run but that stands for any team.

[lessthanjake]

I think the answer is probably yes.

By the way, if the Nuggets end up winning the title and getting through the Lakers, Timberwolves, Thunder, and Celtics to do it, then it would be arguably the hardest title run ever (for instance, that’d be the highest cumulative opponent SRS defeated for any champion ever). Granted, I think the chances of that all happening is rather low—the Thunder and Celtics would have to actually make those rounds and the Nuggets would have to actually beat all these teams. So it probably won’t happen.

[Alatan]

I wonder how the 4/5matchups work. They keep putting Rudy on joker, but they could try having kat guard him and let gobert be the roamer since they rotate so well. And then on the other end they can try putting g Gordon in screening actions with ant. and make jokic the low defender as opposed to Gordon.

I think they will have Towns guard Jokic while having Gobert cheat of Gordon as a free safety. They might mix it up a bit and have Gobert guard Jokic on some possessions. It will be a really tough defense to crack as McDaniels, Ant and Conely will clamp the backcourt and Gobert will close down the paint for cutters and post play. Their best chance will be to try and exploit towns in the PnR or get him into foul trouble in the post.

On the other side i doubt that Gordon will be guarding Ant as that leaves no one with size to guard Towns. MPJ is tall but he is nowhere strong enough to bang with KAT. Its probably going to be AG on Towns and KCP on Ant.

Basically, i think that how KAT, AG and Murray play will decide the series. If we get a whimp version of Murray, Nuggets wont have enough firepower to go through the Wolves. AG needs to be hitting his corner threes or Gobert will lock the paint down. And if Towns doesnt produce but starts turning the ball over the Wolves offense might stagnate.

[mdonnelly1989]

I want to say the Thunder and Mavs are too. But I don't like what Im seeing with the Mavs not capitalizing on Kawhi being out.

But I do think Mavs could def give the Thunder a solid run for sure. And that series would go 7

[Cavsfansince84]

I want to say the Thunder and Mavs are too. But I don't like what Im seeing with the Mavs not capitalizing on Kawhi being out.

But I do think Mavs could def give the Thunder a solid run for sure. And that series would go 7

I'd lean more towards the Thunder in 5 or 6 tbh. Luka and Kyrie are still too streaky as shooters to win with the way that team is constructed imo. They need a wing who can give them a consistent 18-20ppg.

[TunaFish]

MPJ has arrived, Nuggets in five.