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

[AleksandarN]

Our governor is even getting in on the trolling.

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If I don't put my phone down now I'm not getting to sleep

Respect

[CodeBreaker]

Can we trade Anderson mid game?

dude will cost your team the title

You expecting Gobert to have more kids this postseason?

Ant might land on Anderson's foot or sumthn

[ajones9219]

Post game championship odds

Celtics : +100
Wolves : +280
Nuggets : +1500

Ouch

[Calinks]

Well the critics were right about one thing. Gobert got played off the floor in the playoffs, it just took the birth of his child.

[Patches Perry]

People don't appreciate how big looking Bruce Brown and Jeff Green is, especially with Deandre Jordan and Reggie Jackson getting a year older. Denver has zero depth, it is a serious problem.

Part of it is by design. The cap just squeezes good teams and brings them back down the earth. Denver has $135m tied up in Jokic, Murray, MPJ and Gordon. Once you put a team together, you have a small window where your team is developed and talented enough to win, but also not so top heavy with contracts that you can't fill out your starting lineup and bench.

Minnesota is a year or two behind Denver with the same problem. Let's say they win the chip this year, they've got so much money tied up in their top 4 that it'll be difficult to keep key pieces like Reid and NAW. Even Gobert will be hard to retain beyond next season unless he takes a huge paycut.

I'd argue it might be harder to stay a champion than to become a champion.

Spot on. For Minnesota, after next season (2024/25) Reid and NAW can be free agents. This build with this specific group can only really exist for 2-3 years before they have to make moves on the margins. However, if my three guys are Ant, KAT and Rudy, I like my chances.

Of course, and that's the case with most teams flirting with contention. Celtics have Tatum, Brown and Porzingis making like 115m next season and that's before Tatum's supermax happens. Jrue and Horford are probably gone or retire, and Derrick White will be difficult to keep beyond next season. They'll probably have to decide between White and Porz, unless one or both of them take a big paycut. Even then, the roster 5-10 will be piecemealed together. OKC will have the same problem in 2-3 years.

I think it's good that the cap squeezes good teams. It should be hard to win multiple titles. I love the parity.

[picc]

- KCP can't ever be on Edwards, way too light in the ass, it has to be someone else at all times
- Jokic has absolutely zero defensive presence and may as well not even be there. That is a big deal
- Wolves defense low key looked BETTER without Gobert

[Optimus_Steel]

It's over. Congrats to the TWolves. They were the better team all season, and have proved it again in this series. They are far superior in basically every category. There's not one thing I can look at and say the Nuggets have an advantage in.

Honestly, I do not care if the Nuggets get swept. My hope would be that a sweep results in a deep introspective look into the roster and coaching.

There's a structural deficiency here. It showed itself in the regular season, and became more apparent during the playoffs. I think as Nuggets we ignored the signs and pretended this team would get it together, it never did.

There is no visible hunger to repeat , I look at this year Minnesota team and I see last year Denver

They def do not have the hunger this year, reminds me of Spurs teams that would a title and crap the bed next year. Its really hard to win back to back titles as everyone is gunning for you. Combined that with some key guys hobbling and absolutely no depth or attempt to improve the team last summer and that snowballs into what we’re seeing.

[shrink]

Seriously, it is incredible what the wolves are demonstrating right now. How can you not see them as the championship favorites? Maybe that haul for gobert isn't looking so bad eh?

I think the emergence of Anthony Edwards is a huge part of it that makes the whole thing work.

That trade was Minny doubling down on Edwards being ready at 22. On paper they looked insane. Like straight up pants on head stupid.

But now? Seeing who he is and his leadership? Totally makes sense. Buy all the Ant stock you can. This is the guy.

Both right. I’d include Towns willingness to sacrifice, and Finch’s ability to make two big work.

But yes, even Connelly said the trade was about Ant. One of the many complaints about the trade was that Rudy didn’t fit Ant’s timeline. Connelly said that he wanted to have Ant playing in meaningful games at a young age. That was the best way to develop a young player, something MIN didn’t do for Towns.

[GeorgeSears]

It's over. Congrats to the TWolves. They were the better team all season, and have proved it again in this series. They are far superior in basically every category. There's not one thing I can look at and say the Nuggets have an advantage in.

Honestly, I do not care if the Nuggets get swept. My hope would be that a sweep results in a deep introspective look into the roster and coaching.

There's a structural deficiency here. It showed itself in the regular season, and became more apparent during the playoffs. I think as Nuggets we ignored the signs and pretended this team would get it together, it never did.

There is no visible hunger to repeat , I look at this year Minnesota team and I see last year Denver

I don't think hunger is the problem. If they weren't hungry, they would've lost to the Lakers, and they probably should've lost to the Lakers.

This is structural problem and it raises uncomfortable questions that I don't think the front office was prepared to answer this early. Such as, can this team as currently constructed defeat a fully healthy TWolves team? If not, then what? For me, running it back and hoping the TWolves suffer an injury to a starter isn't exactly what I would call a winning strategy.

[wablty]

So who thinks Murray catches a suspension for the heat pack thing?

He has to, right?

[KGDirkTD_Fan]

The Nuggets feel very 2018 Cavs to me, making the right play to the your teammates isn't working, defense is breaking down, bad body language. I know it's not really Jokic's game but they need someone to go get a bucket out there when you know everyone else shooting it isn't going to cut it, but it's just not the way the Nuggets run their offense.

[ChipotleWest]

Denver only made 29 shots the entire game.

[BlacJacMac]

Through 2 games, Malone and the Nuggets haven't found ANYTHING that works against the Wolves. Not a single thing on either end.

[ArksNetsSince99]

How long do we have until Lakers start their talk AD for Ant trade scenarios?

[Mk0]

So who thinks Murray catches a suspension for the heat pack thing?

They probably just fine him, but that was so bad. He should have been kicked out for it but I doubt they suspend him.

[Chuck Everett]

Part of it is by design. The cap just squeezes good teams and brings them back down the earth. Denver has $135m tied up in Jokic, Murray, MPJ and Gordon. Once you put a team together, you have a small window where your team is developed and talented enough to win, but also not so top heavy with contracts that you can't fill out your starting lineup and bench.

Minnesota is a year or two behind Denver with the same problem. Let's say they win the chip this year, they've got so much money tied up in their top 4 that it'll be difficult to keep key pieces like Reid and NAW. Even Gobert will be hard to retain beyond next season unless he takes a huge paycut.

I'd argue it might be harder to stay a champion than to become a champion.

Spot on. For Minnesota, after next season (2024/25) Reid and NAW can be free agents. This build with this specific group can only really exist for 2-3 years before they have to make moves on the margins. However, if my three guys are Ant, KAT and Rudy, I like my chances.

Of course, and that's the case with most teams flirting with contention. Celtics have Tatum, Brown and Porzingis making like 115m next season and that's before Tatum's supermax happens. Jrue and Horford are probably gone or retire, and Derrick White will be difficult to keep beyond next season. They'll probably have to decide between White and Porz, unless one or both of them take a big paycut. Even then, the roster 5-10 will be piecemealed together. OKC will have the same problem in 2-3 years.

I think it's good that the cap squeezes good teams. It should be hard to win multiple titles. I love the parity.

They just signed Jrue to a 3-year extension worth 30 million annual. Boston's tax bill will be ridiculous, but I think they are desperate to win a title. I get it.

[ChipotleWest]

So who thinks Murray catches a suspension?

He has to, right?

They should but won't.

[shrink]

How long do we have until Lakers start their talk AD for Ant trade scenarios?

It was Knicks media, and it started yesterday.

[Mk0]

How long do we have until Lakers ESPN start their talk AD for Ant trade scenarios?

FTFY

[doogie_hauser]

Hope Minnesota fans don't mind me saying this but (in the most respectful and positive way possible) I get some late Flip Saunders vibes from Chris Finch (aside from a vague physical looks resemblance)

Flip was a great and very influential coach (KG always said he was the best coach he played under) and I realize Finch has big shoes to fill, but Finch to me does have a similar father figure role as coach that Flip had at the Wolves.

He definitely has championship winning potential in him imho.

I don't think managing two very talented but big ego players like ANT and KAT to co-exist and sync together offensively is as easy as it sounds either.

KAT deserves a lot of credit himself for seemingly to defer to Ant and realise he is the Robin to Ant's Batman.

The job is far from over though, and Fimch would be telling his prodigious Wolves that.

His humility is part of what I like about Chris Finch tbh.