The reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets have found themselves in a difficult position early in the postseason. They are down 0-2 against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round, and they will have to win game 3 to realistically stay in the series.
The Timberwolves have been a dominant team all year long. They were in the race for the first seed all season for a reason. Anthony Edwards’ development was a huge factor for the emergence of the T-Wolves. He is truly a superstar in the making and is also one of the most unstoppable players in the league. Edwards is averaging 32 points a game so far this postseason.
Another reason why the T-Wolves are so complete is because of their defense and depth. The Rudy Gobert trade in hindsight has been one of the better trades in recent NBA memory. He has been a great defensive anchor for Minnesota, and other players have followed suit. The Wolves have many players who can produce, and this is where the Nuggets ultimately have a problem.
Denver is simply not as deep as they were last season. The losses of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green are bigger than they expected. They haven’t found the players to replace their production. Minnesota has a well rounded squad on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. If Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić don’t play near perfect, it will be hard for the Nuggets to repeat as champions.
As the Timberwolves head back home to Minnesota for game 3, the Nuggets have to make major adjustments quickly. No team has ever came back from an 0-3 deficit in NBA history. They still have the best player in the world in Jokić, so they still have a major chance to win this series.
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