2024 NBA Playoffs: West Semifinals: #2 Denver Nuggets vs #3 Minnesota Timberwolves (MIN WINS 4-3)

[JustBuzzin]

This game isn't until Friday.


That's way too long off. Murray dodging his suspension with the extra rest. NBA might have put the Nuggets back in this series.

[ibraheim718]

You could see this coming a mile away. The nuggets had no one to guard Edwards.. that's the problem. It's a game of matchups. Malone needs to try something different.

[Wigginstime]

Murray will make or break Denver in game 3. He is shooting 28% in games 1 and 2 and allowing Minnesota to completely disrespect the Murray/Jokic PnR.

I expect Minnesota to continue to dare Murray to shoot. He either goes off for 40+ points in a Nuggets win or this series ends quickly. Minnesota is basically playing the same defense they did against the Nuggets in in those last two regular season games. The difference is murray shot 67% from 3pt land in the April 10 game and completely picked apart the wolves defense.

Is Murray simply in a slump awaiting a massive game, or is his injury worse than reported???

[AleksandarN]

Good point. As we saw when MIN played PHX, the Wolves have multiple options to choose from off the bench to get extra value from their coach. With great contributions from two starters still on rookie scale (Ant and Jaden), it allowed the Wolves to invest in a better bench. Naz Reid, Nickiel Alexander-Walker and Kyle Anderson (and maybe Monte Morris) would have all been better options than either PHX or DEN had coming off the bench.

Now this won’t last for MIN. Towns, Edwards and McDaniels all have extensions kicking in next year. They likely can’t afford both Monte Morris and Kyle Anderson, and maybe both will be gone, depending on ownership. Next year MIN adds a third max deal (likely a supermax for Ant), just like PHX and DEN, and Tim Connelly will likely be forced to make cuts in the bench. But this year, for this playoffs, the Wolves can afford to give Chris Finch talent and flexibility to face the best teams in the NBA.

And that's where long term roster construction comes into play. Wolves have their starters plus NAW and Naz locked up next year. My guess is the lose both Monte and SloMo, though we do have Monte's bird rights. We've got Minott, Wendell Moore, Leonard Miller and Jaylin Clark from the past 2 drafts. We need one of those guys to step up and become a quasi reliable bench piece of some value. We also have our 1st and an early 2nd this year.

You gotta start looking long term and I think the biggest question is Naz. Long term you can't keep Naz on the bench, pay him and still have KAT. How they handle that question, probably 18 months from now, will shape the 3 years after that.

I am hoping that they get some financial relief by asking Rudy to waive his $46 mil player option for 2025-26, and extend for, say three years for $95 at age 33. Conley and Naz gave hometown discounts (never happened in MIN before!) to stay with the franchise, and I hope Rudy will follow suit.

The Wolves will have decisions to make in the next couple of years. Several guys will have huge increases in salaries next year. Their cap will go up 20 million and that’s with Conley taking a pay cut and them losing their backup pg and Slow Mo. They will be further into the second apron. They will have limited picks to supplement their team going forward being in the second apron

https://hoopshype.com/salaries/minnesota_timberwolves/

[Wigginstime]

You could see this coming a mile away. The nuggets had no one to guard Edwards.. that's the problem. It's a game of matchups. Malone needs to try something different.

The difference between this year and last year is 100% Jamal Murray. Nuggets have relied on outscoring the wolves for the past 2 seasons. In the past the Wolves have been completely incapable of guarding Murray and stopping the Jokic/Murray PnR.

Murray averaged 27pts/game in the playoffs last year while shooting 43% from 3pt against the wolves
Murray is currently 12pts/game this year shooting 25% from 3pt against the wolves.

Both teams understand this matchup well. The difference being is the wolves are completely disrespecting Murray on the Murray/Jokic PnR and focusing Jokic. Murray simply can't find his shot or his injury is worse than reported.

[PlatinumState]

This game isn't until Friday.


That's way too long off. Murray dodging his suspension with the extra worst. NBA might have put the Nuggets back in this series.

Its only fair other series to catch up.

[JustBuzzin]

This game isn't until Friday.


That's way too long off. Murray dodging his suspension with the extra worst. NBA might have put the Nuggets back in this series.

Its only fair other series to catch up.

If those other teams handled business earlier there wouldn't have to be catching up.

Wolves out here smoking folks and they get punished for it smh.


#CatchUpBums

[ibraheim718]

You could see this coming a mile away. The nuggets had no one to guard Edwards.. that's the problem. It's a game of matchups. Malone needs to try something different.

The difference between this year and last year is 100% Jamal Murray. Nuggets have relied on outscoring the wolves for the past 2 seasons. In the past the Wolves have been completely incapable of guarding Murray and stopping the Jokic/Murray PnR.

Murray averaged 27pts/game in the playoffs last year while shooting 43% from 3pt against the wolves
Murray is currently 12pts/game this year shooting 25% from 3pt against the wolves.

Both teams understand this matchup well. The difference being is the wolves are completely disrespecting Murray on the Murray/Jokic PnR and focusing Jokic. Murray simply can't find his shot or his injury is worse than reported.

Maybe the games would be closer. But the point still stands they have no one to guard Edwards. KCP is too small and Gordon is too slow. Malone has to try someone else on him or just go small on the perimeter and outright double him every time he touches the ball and scramble back after the passes the ball.

Malone should've also developed Strawther at this point for a little more firepower but he didn't. Reggie Jackson shouldn't be playing over him.

[iLLmatic860]

Read on Twitter

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Lmao these “analysts” are terrible

[kazyv]

Jokic has to be more aggressive. If they nuggets are to have a chance, he has to take his one on one matchups(+rudy help) and go for it. anything less than 20 shots with a hobbled murray on the team won't cut it.

it would be doubly bad to fail, since the championship is wide open. luka is hobbled and will fall vs the unexperienced okc. the jays would never cut it vs denver. jokic has to figure out a way if he's as great as he has been purported to be (best offensive player since MJ). you better believe MJ is taking 30 shots if that's what it takes.

[brackdan70]

I initially voted Wolves in 4 but changing to Nuggets in 7….always contrarian.

[SK21209]

Murray is obviously hurt, but part of it is also probably some regression. Murray is a career 17.5 ppg (that includes his rookie year, where he was at 9.9ppg) guy but that jumps up to 24.5 ppg in over 60 playoff games. This is a guy that's never made All-NBA or an All-Star game, but last year in the playoffs had similar production as Wade in his last primeish year in 2011. He clearly is a strong playoff performer and is comfortable in big moments, but that kind of jump is/was probably unsustainable.

[Infinite Llamas]

I just want to see a game where Jokic takes 35 shots and see what happens.

[AleksandarN]

I posted this in another thread. But Murray’s pisses me off here

Jamal comes off as an **** to reporters when they asked him about the fine. Like they did something wrong for asking questions. If you don’t like “non” basketball questions maybe you shouldn’t throw **** on the court. Own up and answer as many questions as they give you. To cop an attitude because they are asking questions about your actions is complete bs.

Watch on YouTube

[dWadeOwnzYou]

I don't mean to sounds superstitious, but I believe the series took a turn for the worse, all in the Wolves favor when Jokic said "Winning is a lifestyle for us" after game 3 of their series with the Lakers. That sounds out of place to me...something you would say after winning a few championship, let alone the character of Jokic wouldn't dare say that. After that, they lost game 4 to the Lakers, and then went on to drop the first two games against Minny at home.

[AleksandarN]

I don't mean to sounds superstitious, but I believe the series took a turn for the worse, all in the Wolves favor when Jokic said "Winning is a lifestyle for us" after game 3 of their series with the Lakers. That sounds out of place to me...something you would say after winning a few championship, let alone the character of Jokic wouldn't dare say that. After that, they lost game 4 to the Lakers, and then went on to drop the first two games against Minny at home.

He said that all season wasn't the first time he said it.

[Woodsanity]

This game isn't until Friday.


That's way too long off. Murray dodging his suspension with the extra worst. NBA might have put the Nuggets back in this series.

Nuggets are still outgunned talent wise. If Murray goes back to last years form they might have a chance albeit small....

[JustBuzzin]

You could see this coming a mile away. The nuggets had no one to guard Edwards.. that's the problem. It's a game of matchups. Malone needs to try something different.

There is no way anyone saw this coming. In fact Denver was favored to win this series and Jokic was the clear cut best player in basketball.

This was a shocker. Now that 2 games have passed you now see Ant is clearly the best player in this series and the Wolves are just a flat out better team overall.

[TheFire]

I don't mean to sounds superstitious, but I believe the series took a turn for the worse, all in the Wolves favor when Jokic said "Winning is a lifestyle for us" after game 3 of their series with the Lakers. That sounds out of place to me...something you would say after winning a few championship, let alone the character of Jokic wouldn't dare say that. After that, they lost game 4 to the Lakers, and then went on to drop the first two games against Minny at home.

Did you watch that full interview? I don't think he said what you think he meant to say.

[iLLmatic860]

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