Nuggets Timberwolves Is A Perfect Playoff Series

[@AFunkyDiabetic]

im running out of ideas for titles twitter.com/FunkyDiabetic1

[@Bigbanggbig]

Ur delusional its gonna be a wrap, 4-1 wolves

[@callsins3413]

before u give prediction watch last year playoff that is Kat and Gobert, Conley and edward kat and gordon where bully by nikola like they are nothing it will be the same denver have murray and mpj clutch enoguh of mcdanirels and reid those two were block by pwat and braun phx suns does not have a point center. they try it nurkic but that is not jokic

[@SeasonsAndSloan]

NBA finals starting early this year

[@Goatlikeitornot]

Minnesota isn't better than Boston

[@ituoiocchisudeme6606]

@@GoatlikeitornotI honestly think Boston would choke if they faced the wolves in the finals🤷🏻‍♂️

[@dariusgarlandbf]

@@ituoiocchisudeme6606I think twolves are being critically overrated after the suns series

[@StonexRanger]

@@dariusgarlandbfa little yes but also they were literally the number 1 seed for like 80% of the season in a strong ass west

[@dariusgarlandbf]

@@StonexRanger I get that but inexperience shows exponentially more the deeper you get into the playoffs

[@calebmauldin1374]

The only shame is that it's not the Western Conference Finals

[@ivegotnoselfesteem506]

2006 Mavs Spurs vibe

[@merryuzi7740]

nahh bro even the winner of OKC vs Clips/Mavs series would be a tough opponent for the winner of this series.

[@jorge3234]

@@merryuzi7740you’d think, but the reality is that the winner of this series is destroying OKC/ Clippers/ Mavs to go to the Finals

[@merryuzi7740]

@@jorge3234 why?

[@MrE_]

@@merryuzi7740 why? Because okc and mavs are too small. Nuggets easily out rebounded the lakers and the lakers aren't even that small. The wolves also thrived on rebounds and paint points and the thunder and mavs are smaller than the suns. Mavs and thunder also rely too much on the 3 ball, especially compared to big teams like the wolves and Nuggets

[@igotclampsonhof6288]

Jaden McDaniels legacy series incoming

[@nathanaelgion2762]

Bout to put Murray in jail for this series

[@ryanmahon1]

Gotta watch out for walls, don't wanna punch one again this year

[@elmehdinafia1237]

Pwat legacy series too

[@iMixMaSteR1]

McDaniels will be a non factor

[@kevingalindo1588]

Pwat season

[@whobitmyname]

Let us all pray for 7 games and no injuries. Ant Man is actually scaring me. I hope Denver's all warmed up because Minnesota isn't gonna let them off the hook like those LA clowns.

[@charleybarley914]

that defense isnt gonna stop for minnesota..its coming every nite. And Ant Man would rather beat somebody on their court than his court. might be an all time 2nd round series.

[@johnshottie4415]

If the wolves win game 1 watch the fuck out.

[@johnshottie4415]

@@TemptingTunes they are winning game 1.

[@PullinMyOwn]

Praying for no injuries for sure but yall keep reading the same script. they were bored playing the Lakers. They want to silence Minnesota more, especially after those stupid comments Kitty Kat made shortly after losing us to us last year. It’s going to be more of what happened the last time Denver played Minnesota. Jokic had 42 blew em out the second half. Maybe yall haven’t noticed but the last time a superstar solo’d his way thru the playoffs was before Bron left for Miami. Superteams ever since. Minnesota isn’t a super team. Ant is playing like a superstar but he can only carry the team so far by himself. KAT and Gobert have never in there 11 years been able to properly defend Joker. It’s not going to change now. And miss me with this Naz is back our hero BS. He’s a short, undersized center who is giving you 9pts. Of the 5 best players in this series, 4 of them are on Denver.

[@joesupg1695]

@@johnshottie4415lol the confidence in saying that is hilarious

[@joshloach9016]

Grown man series here.!

[@TheBabyTort]

Until you remember Kat exist

[@Bigbanggbig]

​@@TheBabyTortKat has been great this season and he embraced his role, his a peoblem in the Finch system

[@Spazlites]

@@TheBabyTortfkn casual

[@deezpleez3832]

@@TheBabyTort lmao casual alert. Yeah, KAT gets into foul trouble more often than not and doesn't have the dawg Ant has, but he's an All Star in this league and is the Robin (hell sometimes a Super Man) to Ant being Batman. He played an overall great series against the Suns.

[@TheBabyTort]

@@deezpleez3832 the suns not like that bro 😭

[@bcrule2843]

This series definitely feels more like a WCF than DEN vs OKC/DAL/LAC would to me, really looking forward to this series should be very gritty and defense-oriented imo. Expecting a lot of low scoring games here tbh.

[@AidanXavier988]

I respect the take but folks still sleeping on the Thunder

[@KxngAntTae]

It gives me vibes of that crazy Bucks vs Celtics series 2022 semi finals. Ironically that Celtics team is similar to this Minnesota team sweeping KD and with Bucks being the defending champs with best player in world in that time.

[@austinphillips04]

Nice take​@@KxngAntTae

[@vietnam1978]

Denver is still the best team in the west. People are still sleeping on them

[@avihs2845]

​​@@AidanXavier988Going by the lack of experience narrative people throw around in these comments They all know that okc has zero chance cause they have no playoff experience That narrative is so annoying its unreal I'm a Timberwolves fan and I'd be more worried about a seris with OKC the with the Nuggets Pretty confident Minnesota takes care of business in 6 or less game due to the lack of depth of the Denver Nuggets Who have no bench

[@smittywerbenjagermanjensen320]

The wait until Saturday is going to be excruciating

[@discowolf25]

They gave us a LONG series. 2.5 weeks all 9:30 games. lol they hate us

[@carefulilickwindows6881]

We have a 7 game Mavs vs clippers series until then 😂

[@devilrider39000000]

This might be a hot take, but I think whoever wins this series will win the NBA finals. It reminds me of 2021 Milwaukee vs. Brooklyn.

[@gilly2026]

Yup very similar. But then again, Clippers Lakers and Warriors were all injured that year and I think any of those 3 teams if healthy and running at full cylinders would have made the finals over the Suns

[@thegamingtemplar1949]

I agree, these are the two best teams in the west, the east is struggling with each other and no one seems dominant over there. Celtics sure but they shouldn’t have lost even one to the heat

[@Trizzer89]

This series is the NBA Championship

[@yea3702]

i love how absolutely no one except celtics fans think that they’re winning the chip this year lmao

[@dominiquesmith7680]

@@yea3702What are you talking about? A lot of people think denver or the celtics are winning it all this year lmao

[@yea3702]

@@dominiquesmith7680 celtics ain’t scaring nb

[@dominiquesmith7680]

@@yea3702 Go tell that to the 64 teams they beat this regular season as well as their constant track record of having deep playoff runs. Stop the yapping

[@userlamezz]

@@dominiquesmith7680deep play off chokes* there u go i fixed

[@kaiskajani5305]

Gonna be the most watched playoff series in nba history two home grown stars ascending to being the faces of the league homegrown talent developed and well coached huge w for the nba

[@jackpeyton1894]

yeah denver vs minnesota is not gonna thrill the mainstream my boy

[@TheBlaqSpiderman]

Re Lax

[@jayquelan6132]

You really think the casual fan gaf?

[@nicholashall9523]

@@jackpeyton1894Shut up stupid Nick Kerr. Go watch Ja Morant and drink cool aid.

[@j.j.r98]

@@jackpeyton1894idk man jokic def becoming a fav to even the casuals and ant is one of the most entertaining guy on the court with his play and off the court with his antics so def gonna be watched

[@specc132]

I think this series is gonna be decided by Murray's consistency. If he plays like he did against Lakers, wolves are going to take the win

[@Bigbanggbig]

His calf is cooked

[@Cpro969]

@@Bigbanggbigyeah but the problem with Murray is that the more the odds are stacked against him, the better he plays.

[@1cubsfan100]

@@Bigbanggbiglet’s hope the five days of rest will be enough.

[@Bigbanggbig]

@@Cpro969 hehe i wanna see him against mcdaniels edwards alexander.. there is no reaves D'Angelo vincent and prince to Cook 😂

[@Cpro969]

@@Bigbanggbig yeah I understand but we have no clue what’s gonna happen so opinions don’t really matter in context of things

[@CoolHorseGod]

Don't ever catch yourself getting sidetracked we are here for your master yappery

[@joshmay2796]

Ant Edwards and Jaden Mcdaniels is Jordan and Pippen all over again.

[@twown]

Easy, guy

[@carefulilickwindows6881]

Stop it, get some help

[@haraldhardrade7539]

😂😂😂

[@ImMeE19]

Omg I didn’t see it till now

[@dantepierre1948]

Y’all are really gassing up McDaniels, he’s a good player but you wolves fans need to realize that the Suns and Pelicans are the worst teams statically in the playoffs. This next series isn’t going to be anywhere near as easy, the suns defense is laughable compared to nuggets.

[@swellson8133]

Thank you for picking Nuggets. Now the Wolves have a chance.

[@madhands9887]

They don’t they winning 1 game maybe

[@T1Oracle]

What did the 🐜 say to the 🦶🏽? *Squish*

[@deezpleez3832]

@@madhands9887 then the nuggets better start playing better lol. Can't win against the Wolves if the Nuggets played how they did against the Lakers

[@youtubewatcher4955]

@@T1OracleI’m pretty sure ants eat nuggets but aight pop off.

[@slitization]

Wolves in 7 or 6. They low key gave Denver the hardest series last year, and this time they're more cohesive and have Reid + McDaniels.

[@kamerontracy]

You think they gave the nuggets a harder series than the lakers? I’m not so sure

[@CrazyxEnigma]

​@@kamerontracyThat's what Bruce Brown said after they won the championship last year.

[@kamerontracy]

@@CrazyxEnigma yeah and I’m pretty sure jokic said differently…

[@iMixMaSteR1]

Stay offff the weeeeeeeed

[@kamerontracy]

@@iMixMaSteR1 again I’ll take ouur championship and many playoff series wins and experience, plus Jokic over the one playoff series the wolves have against a shit suns team…

[@letmesleepinpeace7052]

Naz Reid is going to feast this series

[@prince-bm4xt]

And mcdaneils

[@charleybarley914]

we havent had the Naz "Two Words" signature game yet....and its coming.

[@deezpleez3832]

Nuggets are about to see what the Wolves missing last year, and now they're healthy this year (Reid and McDaniels)

[@stefandrakche]

Vs Deandre Jordan xD

[@PullinMyOwn]

Oh please this 6’9” backup center is your savior?! Please. The multi time dpoy has his worst games against Jokic. He is putting up 40ppg at least 2x in this series.

[@GTNover]

Christian Braun and Peyton Watson will both have chunks of minutes guarding Ant. And both of them match up physically well with Ant, which is tough to do.

[@guygeorge9722]

I feel like they guard ant better than kcp and gordon lol

[@GTNover]

@guygeorge9722 They probably do, but they don't flow as well within the offense and are far less experienced players. I do think you take away some KCP minutes for these guys to keep your size advantage over the Timberwolves and allow KCP less minutes to recover from his injuries in the Lakers series.

[@PullinMyOwn]

Yes they’re going to get rotated around on him a lot. I’m looking forward to that. Ant had it easy in round 1. I knew he was going to be a problem last year but even with Jaden and Reid, it doesn’t matter. Denver is better.

[@RomanticCancel]

I'm a Lakers fan and I am so excited for this series. Granted I don't root against my team, but I'm not too upset over my team losing to such an elite roster and I cannot wait to see the matchups that are going to happen this series, particularly how the elite defense from the Wolves will handle the elite playmaking from the Nuggets. It'll be my priority to watch every minute of this series. No matter who wins, it's going to be a memorable series.

[@yourmom_knowsme]

I for one, am an upset Lakers fan 😭 Mainly because of Jamal Murray. But Denver was always the better team, & now the Wolves can give them a REAL matchup worth watching

[@666soccermom666]

Lakers fans desperately trying to remain relevant

[@RomanticCancel]

@@yourmom_knowsme Not going to lie, I felt so proud of the exchange that Jamal and Michael Malone had before the game where Jamal said, "I have to play this if we want to win," and Michael Malone went, "You think?" I love that level of comradery that Denver has and you can really tell that everyone has each others' back.

[@yourmom_knowsme]

@@666soccermom666 we don’t need to, we’re always on your mind even when we lose 😉

[@RomanticCancel]

@@666soccermom666 Saying good games to the better team who beat us less than 24 hours ago then talking about my excitement for the next series is me trying to make us relevant? I'm just happy that I get to see more good basketball but sure. I am a fan of good basketball first and the Lakers second. Go Wolves and Nuggets, hope you two play your best. Also don't you think that it's a better use of energy to have a nice convo over things to be excited over rather than trying to instigate on people who are just chilling and talking about how fun it is watching the playoffs, no matter your favorite team? Let's just enjoy the sport and the hundreds of athletes who make it our privilege to watch these amazing performances on a nightly basis. (:

[@CrazyxEnigma]

If the Nuggets don't play better than they did against the Lakers I don't like their chances against the Wolves.

[@dumbassdude8372]

Lakers played great tho. It's just their superstar forgot how to take over in the clutch

[@Larry_Suave]

I think they will. The lakers are a much tougher team than the suns, and AD gives jokic more problems than the wolves will.

[@avihs2845]

​@@Larry_SuaveReally How is that

[@calebwilson3892]

⁠@@avihs2845there is not a player who gives Jokic more problems on both sides of the court than AD. His biggest opp is out of the playoffs. As for the lakers being a tougher team than the suns….hopefully you don’t need that explained

[@berlin4103]

Tell me one player who has size of ad can defend like ad and can score 30 on you like ad? ​@@avihs2845

[@rayneozier]

Wolves in 7. I think it’s gonna be a hell of a series.

[@MichaelDeLaRosa]

This is the real NBA finals

[@oneunripemango1858]

It’s the Tim Connelly Bowl

[@ParlayPatt32]

Celtics vs Timberwolves FINALS 🥶🥶🥶

[@ayocam07]

This playoff series is gonna be amazing!!! Nuggets in 7 I agree! this wolves team is whole different breeds not gonna be easy to defeat.

[@nathanaelgion2762]

Gonna take all 3 of Minnesota's big men to slow down Jokic. They might have Jamal Murray, but we got Jaden McDaniels. Wolves bench deeper. Ant man is HIM. Wolves in 6!

[@Larry_Suave]

Nuggets 1 and 2 are better than wolves 1 and 2. Wolves haven't made it past the first round they're too inexperienced, denver will beat them in clutch time just like they did the lakers. Nugs in 7.

[@avihs2845]

​@@Larry_Suavelol Your 1 is only better Edwards is better by FAR anything not named Jokic

[@bigsmall2842]

@@Larry_Suavesaying Murray is better than ant is crazy

[@bIacknugget]

@@Larry_SuaveNaz Reid

[@askkicjndnnsjidnx115]

@@bIacknugget mpj better

[@ravenm.]

Wolves playing with house money. Everybody was picking the Suns, and how'd that go? Wolves in 6

[@Kentarius]

I think allot of people will pick the wolves

[@ChuckwaldMartin]

how are they playing with house money, they want to win and think its there year

[@ctoaun23]

They have this year and next year before their salaries become completely unsustainable. Definitely not house money, that's OKC.

[@PullinMyOwn]

Every body has been picking Denver to lose since last year. 1st it was oh the Wolves size are going to bother Denver, we like Minnesota in 6. Oh the Suns have KD & Booker, Suns in 6. Then it was the surprising lakers in 6… Only one we weren’t underdogs was Miami. Then the lakers were expected to beat us this year because they were healthy. Wrong. Now we’re back to so many people taking an unproven team, in 6. Good luck with that

[@funnyguppygaming5743]

This is a big boy series

[@funnyguppygaming5743]

Some would say a grown man series

[@funnyguppygaming5743]

I liked my own f***ing comment

[@GoodyearSimp]

wtf the little sidetrack was funny asl😂😂😂😂😂

[@Hoopculture24]

Wolves in 6. Ants about to explode this is gonna be all time level good‼️

[@PullinMyOwn]

Sure but Jokic will explode even more. Last 3 games against them he’s had 42, 35, 32. Doesn’t matter if they have Kitty. Rudy plays Jokic bad always has. KAT plays like against Denver. 4 of the 5 best players in the series are on Denver.

[@BJ37]

Nuggets haven't looked quite right for most of the year. They are in trouble if they don't get sharp for this series. Think the Wolves should be favored honestly. They kept up with them last year in playoffs last year and this year even with many key players missing. Now with everyone healthy, they have dominated the Nuggets this year. It's a bad matchup for them, think the Wolves will make this easy work. Then again I thought the Suns would dominate the Wolves in all honesty 😂

[@nicholasleemarks]

The Wolves definitely have not ‘dominated’ the Nuggets, but I agree things are lining up for them to knock out the champs. It should be a long series though, nothing will be easy either way

[@BJ37]

@nicholasleemarks I think they have when healthy, but tbh regular season barely matters. Playoffs are a different game entirely. I'm excited to see how it unfolds.

[@jacob1-b9j]

The Nuggets should win in 7 barring any Jamal Murray injury. 1) the Phoenix Suns that the Wolves have beaten lack 5 things that make the Nuggets a playoff nightmare : clutchness, basketball IQ, playmaking, phisicality and versatility. Kd, book and Beal are essentially three finesse scorers who don't play phisical, are average playmakers and don't deliver in the clutch. 2. As great as Ant is and can be in this series he cannot cause the same havoc that Lebron and AD caused. Lebron was amazing scoring, playmaking, shooting and AD put on a Shaq like performance and it wasn't enough. KAt and Rudy are leagues below AD and Ant isn't as great offensively as this version of Lebron that the Nuggets nearly swept.

[@ctoaun23]

Wolves had one good series against a mid Suns team who can't play defense. This is where we see how good they actually are, looking forward to it.

[@edgardoMurnia]

Murray injured and KCP with a bad ankle gives the Wolves an incredible opportunity....

[@PullinMyOwn]

That’s your only hope is injury

[@aaronwind2198]

They’re getting rest as we speak

[@edgardoMurnia]

@@PullinMyOwn Even then I don't think they would continue to shot like me on wide open jumpshots so.. maybe not even injuries can stop them

[@edgardoMurnia]

@@aaronwind2198 So?

[@aaronwind2198]

@@edgardoMurnia that means they have time to get healthy and ready for the game

[@YaBoiKNuss]

The loss of Bruce Brown in this series compared to last year should not be understated. Ant cooked the whole series and now there's even less defense in denver with KCP injured. Not to mention the wolves playing amazing defense so far, while the Nuggets had comparatively not their best offensive performance in the Lakers series. This nuggets team is very reminiscent of 2020 imo. Go Nuggets, but man i wouldn't be surprised if we lost in 6 here.

[@deezpleez3832]

As a Wolves fan, it will be a great series! Jokic and Murray will do their thing. Ant's gonna do his thing. Hopefully Kat stays outta foul trouble.. Like you said though it'll probably come down to the depth of both benches though, and that's where Minnesota excels and Denver lacks...

[@PullinMyOwn]

They’re playing amazing because the Suns are basically a play in team. They have no size and rely on iso ball.

[@PullinMyOwn]

Watson and CB are going to rotate on to him. So will MPJ. But it doesn’t matter because one player can’t carry the team.

[@Warrentertainment]

I trust the Nuggets ball movement a lot more than the Timberwolves, but I dig the Wolves as well. This series is gonna be amazing. Nuggets in 6

[@pocaoffice]

I'm ready for this rematch. The main difference between this year from last year is that Naz and Jaden are in the lineup. The regular season doesn't mean anything since what happened last season. The only disadvantage is that Finchy is injured

[@SincerelyJnC]

Also wolves are alot better as a "team" this year. Alot better chemistry than they had last year.

[@Daveyjdigital]

Wolves on Top 🐺

[@jeffreyvalentyn6815]

Nuggets have been there, have this seasons MVP, and guys in each position that excel at what they do. There defense has improved drastically which was their only concern last season… Wolves in 6

[@vietnam1978]

This guy also said Suns Wolves would be an amazing series lol

[@TheBabyTort]

No one told the suns to be that ass

[@Zoroark278]

As long as my wolves take it to 7 ill be content

[@twown]

Minny playing completely fearless and having the time of their lives. Denver looking a bit tight and out of sync. Sad but true.

[@blablablaa14]

Its a very intriguing series because if there was a team built to beat Denver it would be this type of team. The fact they have multiple long defensive wings and forwards is really helpful against the Nuggets. I honestly think the difference will be what could Kat contribute offensively, because if he's efficient and high scoring the defensive end of the Wolves should be enough to make the difference. People forget its tough to be focused and locked in two years in a row. It rarely happens that teams win two in a row so the Nuggets are vulnerable

[@Gdfsandoz]

I doubt Kat will be scoring much with AG on him. Dudes a dog.

[@blablablaa14]

@@Gdfsandoz He will be guarding Ant not Kat

[@Gdfsandoz]

@blablablaa14 kcp will. Has most of the season. Gordon isn't quick enough laterally to cover edwards. He'll get beat everytime. He might switch onto him at times but I can almost guarantee kcp will be his primary defender.

[@michaelbietsch2864]

As a nuggets fan, I'm terrified. The wolves were easily our biggest challenge last year despite them not being healthy. The other three games we lost that post-season took absurd shooting variances. The wolves just picked us apart. This year, their defense is better, and our shooting is worse. My heart will be on the verge of exploding the whole time. All I hope is the series ends and the fan bases stay chill like they did last year, regardless of outcome

[@charleybarley914]

Wolves fan here...lets hope for 7 so we can stroke out together lmao! Gonna be epic.

[@spagettifork8916]

Gonna end up as the best 2nd round matchup of the decade

[@god.valley]

Nuggets will need to put Pwat in

[@Tdiddy-fc5hr]

I am excited for this series. I am thinking it is going 6to 7 games. Who wins , IDK? 8 am a wolves fan , but also love the way Joki. Plays the nba game. It should be a competitive series.

[@HaydenJamal]

I can tell you actually watched the Wolves. Good analysis. I've got wolves in 6

[@Anonymous-mg8bu]

Payton Watson on ant could be something to throw out if kcp is injured

[@blockingbeast]

Jokic will be a tall task to slow down, containing Murray will be key of possibly coming out this series and they definitely have the defensive tools to do so like Mcdaniels, Ant, Alexander, Conley etc. Plus Naz Reid coming off the bench providing a spark for them will be key as well

[@noahkramer942]

To me the key is whether MPJ can continue his hot streak

[@mclovin6629]

I hope Wolves beat these goofies 💯

[@lil_truth]

You’re the only goofy here my guy

[@mclovin6629]

Your pfp is goofy, Be original 🤣👎🏽 @@lil_truth

[@lil_truth]

@@mclovin6629 you using the term “goofy” is original? Literally everyone using that word right now, maybe expand your vocabulary and your horizons buddy

[@mclovin6629]

Okay Loser 🤡 @@lil_truth

[@brotjack]

Those 2 teams would take the entire league to higher levels. Much higher than your blood sugar.

[@siler22]

Nuggets bench will be more comfortable in this series opposed to Lakers one where they seemed to tight, Minnesota has two best defenders on Murray in NAW in Jaden and Jokic can go atomic on Rudy because he doesnt need to waste much energy guarding him, Mpj is valuable assest in this series and will see how much can Kcp or even AG guard Ant

[@discowolf25]

7:18 AW NAW HELL NAW BOI YALL BEEN UP N DONE IT (naz reid.)

[@johnnybadmen3473]

I was picking the Nuggets to win the playoffs going into the playoffs. But with the way the Timberwolves are playing, whoever win this series are going to the playoffs.

[@shady3legend]

Im loving these playoffs all the old cats is out and its time for the young dudes to cook...I forgot the clippers still in lol

[@Justme-jq2np]

Don't underestimate Payton Watson

[@Emu1776]

I don’t think the wolves are ready. nuggets in 5 or 6

[@rey4929]

You can’t fake defense. They can guard offensive talent as evident by the last series

[@Emu1776]

@@rey4929 the suns are an absolute mess and disaster. We’ve seen all year, the wolves offense can really struggle. ESPECIALLY in the clutch, where the nuggets dominate

[@PullinMyOwn]

@@rey4929if you want to see what your legendary defense is going to look like this series just look at the blowout that Denver had the last time Minnesota played us. 2nd half blowout.

[@ken58763]

KAT missed 2 games in the regular season against the nuggets and they still were 2-2. It’ll be a competitive series at the very least

[@farrquehussein2350]

ABSOLUTE CINEMA OTW

[@krisskrossSSS]

Hot take: Just Playoffs statistics alone, I think last year's Lakers are just as good of a defensive team as this year's Wolves while being the better offensive team, and had a pretty similar game-plan that the Wolves had. I think the Nuggets are more than prepared to face the Wolves monstrous defense (series may extend longer if Murray doesn't get out of his shooting slump) and combined with the Nuggets much improved defense can maintain the Wolves' 16th ranked offense. They have one of the best POA defenders and iso defenders in the league in KCP and AG along with premier lengthy defenders like Watson and Braun on the bench, they have the personnel to give Ant trouble. AG in last year's Playoffs was the 2nd best iso defender behind Al Horford, holding opponents to 0.92ppp (min. 20 ISOs def) and will match up well vs KAT. If we look at the Lakers' defense in last year's Playoffs, in order to attempt to measure their defensive impact besides DRTG, We would have to average out what their opponents ORTG was in the regular season and determine the difference of their ORTG was in the Playoffs when facing the Lakers. The Memphis Grizzlies had a 115.1 ORTG in the 2022-23 regular season. When they faced the Lakers, their ORTG dropped to 104.7, a -10.4 decrease. The Golden State Warriors had a 116.1 ORTG that season, when they faced the Lakers their ORTG dropped to 111.6, a -4.5 decrease. If we average these out, it comes to an *average ORTG decrease of 7.45* headed into the Nuggets series. The Wolves this year faced the Suns who had a regular season ORTG of 117.6 (10th in ORTG). The Suns' ORTG dropped to 110.4, a -7.2 decrease. The Wolves faced a better offensive team in the Suns than the Lakers first two opponents, so that's why I'd give the slight edge to the Wolves. The Lakers were just as good of a defensive team last season as the Wolves are this season, while being the better offensive team. Their Lakers' roster from last year and this year are pretty similarly constructed as the Wolves are. The Wolves, although a better team this year than they were last year, made no significant roster changes. Both the Lakers and Wolves have a pretty similar defensive gameplan when facing the Nuggets. I see the Nuggets finishing this series in 5 games if the roster starts shooting the percentages the normally would, if they continue this shooting slump I'd still go with the Nuggets but in 7. The Nuggets are well prepared to face the Wolves' monstrous defense, and having faced the Lakers as a warm up I think they've built good habits to face the Wolves' who are a pretty similar team. The Wolves' lack of offensive fire power along with the Nuggets' improved defense and defensive personnel who can give Ant and KAT trouble will be the story of this series that'll end it in 5 games.

[@jackdriggers4413]

Hey funky can’t the bucks throw a similar look at jokic whether it’s Giannis or brook guarding him and the other in help

[@chrischristensen6527]

This is gonna be a fire series.

[@harrynixon1984]

Minnesota finally get in the driver's seat 💯

[@cruxxus]

Joker is best player in the league (though Wolves have size to hinder him some), yet, that will be tough to overcome unless Edwards continues to accelerate his game to match. I think both players defer to teammates early on which is a good thing to make sure your whole team is involved in the game. As of right now though Joker is unquestionably the best player in the league. Best matchup in the playoffs for sure, will be fun to watch.

[@Findyification]

this gonna be hot like final

[@John.Asante]

Minny is theoretically built to stop Denver

[@B_Hubbz]

Great playoff so far

[@NikolicaSrb]

May we call it "finals before finals" in semi-final of conf?

[@solomonike]

This series gonna come down to how both KAT and Murray do

[@MichaelDeLaRosa]

Who wins this series will be NBA champions Let’s go nuggs!!

[@swimInsights]

Rudy gonna defend Jokic? "bro, I got 47"...

[@gourd1990]

I am from Israel visiting the states currently and I bought the ticket to game 4 of this series 🥳 but why for god sake your tickets are sooooooo expensive even in a small city like Minnesota

[@noaffiliation-x8w]

Jokic dropped 41 on their head last time they played lmao

[@thomasknutson9085]

Wolves will ascend and stay for a little while. Wolves in 5

[@kevingalindo1588]

Ur boat hasnt even taken off yet and u already talkin about “a little while” nuggets in 5 kid. Maybe next year

[@thomasknutson9085]

@@kevingalindo1588 maybe you take it to six but Link has played the Wind Waker setting the winds to sail us to the finals and beyond. We will battle for years to come with outcomes that will sadden you

[@Larry_Suave]

Regardless of what happens this year, the nugs will win more rings than the wolves will, that's for sure. You're in the window where the massive contracts haven't hit yet. When they do, you won't compete with us.

[@thomasknutson9085]

@@Larry_Suave mrdean171 you are obviously very troubled. I hope you find solace in the simple joys of life because you will not find joy in nba basketball with that mindset

[@michaelstinson9347]

Dude, the “massive contracts” (including Ant, Jaden, KAT, Rudy) are already locked through 2026.

[@blablablaa14]

What if the Wolves go small with Conley,Walker, Ant, McDaniels, and Nas. They get a ton of offense and they still align to be a faster yet same sized team as the Nuggets. I would find that interesting

[@kevinbrezinski2544]

They'd get mauled on the boards if they did this

[@blablablaa14]

@@kevinbrezinski2544 Maybe but they are so quick, long and offensive at that lineup

[@flash012234]

Gobert too valuable. The paint is the most valuable shot, and Gobert the best rim protector in the league.

[@HoopsAficionado]

I recall a time when scouts like ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmidt (now with the Blazers) had LaMelo Ball at the top of their draft board over Anthony Edwards. Now, we know the latter is the far superior player.

[@henry7486]

in fairness, Melo has dealt with a lot of injuries. If they were both equally as healthy, I think that it’d be far closer. Lamelo was an all-star in his second year after all

[@henry7486]

also KOC had Killian Hayes going #1

[@CrazyxEnigma]

If I remember right the biggest question mark about Ant was his commitment to the sport itself and that's proven to be a total non issue. LaMelo has also gotten hurt a lot.

[@HoopsAficionado]

@@henry7486 I'll grant that Melo's health has been an issue. However, Ant is an exceptional athlete and an iron man capable of playing all 82 games. This only makes Edwards more of a sure thing.

[@henry7486]

@@HoopsAficionado yeah, tbh while Lavar did greatly help both of them actually make the league in the first place, he kinda ran the Ball brothers into the ground simultaneously. I wanna see Lonzo hoop again

[@teddythegod1919]

Is it safe to say whoever wins this series will most likely win the championship?

[@blizz1023]

No

[@Achilles585]

Yes

[@teddythegod1919]

@@blizz1023 then who not the Celtics? I don’t see anyone beating either team besides each other

[@JSauer21]

100%

[@CARBONHAWK1]

Celtics will be ready and rested lol

[@ep6287]

The nuggets have great chemistry between their starting 5, but are coming in injured between Kcp and Murray , and have no bench depth. I think wolves take it but hopefully we get some great games. I wish this was the wcf though.

[@86Sentra]

I cant wait !

[@samb123078]

This is exactly the series I want. Personally, I think the wolves got this in 7.

[@SammyG6714]

KCP is an established veteran defender, he will give ANT some problems. The Suns had horrible defense that had no answers for ANT. I got Nuggets winning in 6.

[@brendancallery1077]

The Nuggets need to shade help towards Ant when KCP is the primary (maybe not to the extent of the Suns' gap help, but it'll still be noticeable ). I think betting on KCP to hold up by his lonesome for any period of time is a losing proposition--they even went away from this the back part of last year's series. The Wolves really possess the worst personnel matchups for Denver, as KAT forces them to take their strongest defender--the best type of point-of-attack to throw at Ant--away from the ball handlers. KAT struggles operating out of doubles in the post, but I can't imagine that they will tempt fate by putting MPJ on him. Neither team ought to want to be in this matchup, logistically speaking. The Wolves are the best counter to the Nuggets, and the Nuggets are the best team in the league. Go Wolves..

[@YodaSmokes]

So will be thunder mavs

[@mathewomolo]

if the Nuggets play like they did against the 'mid, barely made it out the play-in' lakers, then the Timberwolves win easily in 6.

[@ohhmyjesus]

MPJ legacy series

[@BOS_C.O.]

Pure cinema

[@LPjunemark]

Nuggets Problem-Bench Wolves Problem- This ain't Nurkic,Eubanks and Eric Gordon they playing against😂

[@jaden1243]

even if KAT is in foul trouble they can throw Naz in to counter, mcdaniels and NAW are also small enough on help side

[@nikolaperic6307]

"Brother i have 47"

[@austinmj64]

Superman vs Zod type beat

[@NTPuchalski]

Nuggets are more scared of the wolves than the wolves are of the nuggets. I pick wolves to win in 7 purely due to intimidation factor and their continually rising swagger effect

[@flash012234]

Why would a defending champion who sent the Wolves home last season be intimidated? 😂

[@swankythegreat]

If the Wolves are allowed to guard Jokic, I like their chances. **edit: I'm referring to a superstar whistle against the wolves, a la Booker in that last one, not accusing Joker of playing like Embiid

[@simonribeiro7630]

Considering in a home playoff game five where he was greatly involved he shot 0(!) free throws, I would assume the Wolves will be allowed to "guard" Jokic, whatever that means.

[@elmehdinafia1237]

As if Jokic is a dude that foul bait..dude the only superstar who doesn't get a friendly whistle buddy.

[@mediokah232]

Dumbest comment I’ve read

[@JSauer21]

They'll be able to foul him and get away with it more often than not, and still won't be capable of guarding him tbh

[@swankythegreat]

​@@elmehdinafia1237 My bad, I meant the opposing superstar getting a good whistle against the Wolves (I'm a liitle salty about all of the FTs Booker got in that last one lol), not Jokic specifically. In hindsight I wasn't very clear about that

[@yeff2822]

NUGGETS IN 6

[@omaryussuf9363]

Somehow casual fans will call it boring

[@dirtydan2074]

Nugs are playing for fun and the timberwolves are playing to eat. Wolves in 5.

[@RobinHood__]

crazy

[@charleybarley914]

and Edwards fave meal is eating on somebody elses home court in front of their crowd.

[@kevinbrezinski2544]

😂😂😂

[@PullinMyOwn]

You ain’t serious enough to put money on it. Just talking shit

[@dirtydan2074]

@PullinMyOwn seat belt McDaniels has entered the chat*

[@lou8181]

I honestly think wolves will win in 6. The ORB and overall physicality from 1-9 on the wolves are the x factor to me.

[@MrTrust333]

Nuggets in 5(if Murray healthy)

[@monewayleek]

Compare this series to a young MJ vs Bird in the playoffs

[@kyleshuler2929]

Dude, based on the way the nuggets played in the lakers series, theyre about to get stomped by the wolves.

[@rgonzalo511]

Nah Twolves don't got anyone as good as Bron and AD on their roster

[@solomonike]

@@rgonzalo511you clearly have not been watching the wolves 😂

[@rgonzalo511]

@@solomonike Bro they dont. Whos better than Bron and AD on the Wolves? Ant in the future could be better but not rn

[@solomonike]

@@rgonzalo511 if the Wolves played the lakers they would’ve got swept by them too you on some high level copium rn just sit back and watch the wolves beat the nuggets

[@rgonzalo511]

@@solomonike What makes you so sure yall would've swept them? The Nuggets have one of the best offenses of all time and they couldnt do it. The Wolves offense is nothing crazy. Besides the Nuggets could've swept them.

[@Cjust15]

Since when did the pressure suddenly fall on the nuggets ? Wolves are a threat for sure but didn’t the nuggets beat them last post season with a healthy Edwards, KAT, Conley, and Gobert? Nuggets in 5 or 6