There are two ways (barring any injuries to either team) that the Denver Nuggets can come back from a two zip deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves. Shockingly, the T-Wolves have come out and dominated the World Camps in the first two games at Denver, in the 2024 NBA playoffs.
The first way is easy. The Nuggets just play better; and the T-Wolves regress back to their regular season playing and shooting form.
The second way is radicle. It requires adjusting to Minnesota’s new found aggression and coming out with a new approach. Maybe even a new starting five. My hope is coach Michael Malone has thought of this and the team has practiced it. It’s not that hard. Really.
The New Approach
is based on a simple principle. Physics: A thrown basketball can travel much faster than a man can run, or scramble. It works like this. After a T-Wolf’s made basket, the Nugget’s pass the ball in and don’t dribble again until they’ve crossed their own free throw line.
Newly crowned MVP Nikola Jokic’ sprints to his baseline instead of bringing the ball up. Typically, the Joker dribbles the ball slowly up court and sets up at the 3-point line. Then the Nuggets run their pick & roll two-man game with Jamal Murray. Joker makes the correct play and Denver scores. No team has been able to stop them for the last two seasons.
However, the T-Wolves have figured out how. They swarm Nikola and Jamal and speed them up – forcing the two out of their usual rhythm. This has disrupted the superstars to the point of frustration and poor play. Indeed, Jamal Murray became so upset he threw, from the bench, objets at the referee. Subsequently, he’s been fined 100-thousand dollars.
But, if the Nuggets change it up, passing the ball up the court instead of dribbling, then bring the Joker up to the foul line and hit him there … ? Well, he’s much better positioned to make killer passes for easy shots for Gorden or Porter. Viola!
Now, Minnesota become frustrated and starts pressing and missing shots.
The Referees
however, have been awful. I don’t fault Murray for his outburst. It seems that the entire basketball world, save us Denver fans, are rooting for the T-Wolves. Why? Is a good question.
I’m not going to offer my opinion here. Well, because I’ve all ready been cancelled for speaking out against the popular, politically correct mindset.
In Conclusion
do you agree with me? About the change in approach. Do you think the Nuggets could pull it off? Furthermore, what about the refs? Additionally, why is the basketball world rooting against the Nuggets and the for the Timberwolves? Ley me know in the comments.
We shall see tonight. I’ve a white board, drawn it up. Maybe Braun has to replace Caldwell-Pope? Watkins for Murray sometimes? Jackson, also.
The Nuggets crushed the Timberwolves in game three at Minnesota, 117 to 90. It was simply scenario one above. However there is, of course, more to the story. There is the psychological effect, which favors the World Camps (Denver) going forward.
The T-wolves appeared to believe the media hype about themselves. The commentator clowns’ on TV all declared the series over. Moreover, that the Minnesota team would win the championship outright. Maybe not lose another game. For years to come! Furthermore, Anthony Edwards, or “Ant Man”, was declared at the age of twenty-two, “the face of the league”; comparable to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Give me a break.
~ Game four is tomorrow, in Minnesota, at 6:00 MST. We’ll see …
Update, Thursday, May 16th. Game six is tonight with the Nuggets leading 3 games to two. What happened? A regression to the mean. The Nuggets are the far more better coached, skilled, and experienced team. The “experts”, paid oh so much for their opinions and commentary, were wrong. As so often is the case. AND, it doesn’t matter the Field- Sports, Politics, Weather, Health.
~ I call them clown commentators- because that’s what they are.
The Nuggets lose game six in a blowout at Minnesota; and then game seven in Denver. What happened? The game six loss, sure. But game seven at home?
~ Minnesota made an adjustment and it worked. The adjustment was to let Jokic have open three’s, and he missed them. Had he made just a few more? Denver would have blown out the T-Wolves.
All the other chatter and analysis misses that fact. The question is: Did Nikola miss because he was tired from playing so many minutes? Was he pressing because his teammates weren’t connecting?
Denver played great defense – shutting down Anthony Edwards. But the others hit their shots. And Minnesota got way more free throws than Denver. Due to? Jokic shooting from distance and not driving to the basket. That’s it. Minnesota’s adjustment worked.