Timberwolves Guard Anthony Edwards has put the world on notice this postseason that he is a force to be reckoned with. His team also made a statement with an impressive four game sweep over the Phoenix Suns and their big three led by Kevin Durant. Minnesota had the best defense in basketball in the regular season and continues to be just as imposing in the playoffs. With Anthony Edwards playing at high levels and the Timberwolves three seven footers making an impact on both sides of the floor, they now face the ultimate test in the second round. The defending champion Denver Nuggets are favorites in their second round matchup with the Timberwolves in what should be an epic playoff series. I expect a hard fought seven game series but ultimately I'm picking Minnesota to not only win the series but make a run to the NBA Finals.
The Timberwolves match up with the Nuggets arguably as good as any team in the NBA. Their frontline in Karl Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, and Naz Reid can pose a challenge to Nikola Jokic in the paint. Gobert's role could be huge if he can slow down Jokic as a primary defender and keep the Nuggets from getting second chance points will be bode well for Minnesota. Towns ability to space the floor with his outside shooting will be key especially if he can shoot as well from three point range (52.9%) as he did in the first round. NBA Sixth Man of the year, Naz Reid's impact off the bench will be particularly interesting as the Nuggets don't have a lot of offensive firepower off the bench to counter him. The biggest factor will be Anthony Edwards, who has blossomed into a superstar at just 22 years old and will need to continue to play at a high level against the Nuggets. In last year's first round matchup against the Nuggets, Edwards averaged 31.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game in five games. I expect more of the same from Edwards though also having a healthy Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid will be a major factor as they were out with injuries during the playoffs last year.
In the regular season series between the Nuggets and Timberwolves, what stood out to me about their four matchups was that the team that shot better from the field won every game. Fortunately for the Timberwolves, they have the third best field goal percentage of the remaining playoff team at 47.7%. They also have the best offense with an average of 118.3 points per game, though they did it against what was the worst defensive team in the playoffs in the Phoenix Suns. Although they will be up against a far better team defensively in the Nuggets, the Timberwolves are capable of playing efficient offense to win the series. Still, as the saying goes defense wins championships and it was Minnesota's defense that was most impactful in their regular season wins over Denver. In their two wins, they were able to hold the Nuggets under 100 points while in their losses Denver scored 115 and 116 points with Jokic scoring 35 and 41 individually as well. Containing Jokic is easier said than done but containing his supporting cast ,especially Jamal Murray, who torched the Lakers in the first round will be crucial for Minnesota to win the series.
If the Timberwolves do manage to overcome the Nuggets, they will still face another great Western Conference threat in either the Mavericks or the Thunder. Still, with their lockdown defense led by their frontcourt and a future face of the NBA caliber player in Anthony Edwards, Minnesota has a great chance to reach heights the franchise never has before.
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