With the second round of the NBA Playoffs set to begin, the Western Conference Semifinals matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves lies at the forefront of title contention. Both teams are eager for something to prove. The Nuggets are looking to be the first team to repeat as NBA champions since the Golden State Warriors with Kevin Durant. The Wolves are hungry to etch their names in basketball history while silencing the doubters.
This Western Conference Semifinals round has serious ramifications for all-time legacy, justifying huge trades and a battle between two teams that bet on size when the rest of the league valued small ball. With a lot hanging in the balance, here are three bold predictions for the Timberwolves ahead of the matchup with Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.
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Anthony Edwards outplays Nikola Jokic
After a truly dominant run last postseason, Jokic has cemented his legacy as one of the all-time greats. A two-time MVP, perhaps on the brink of winning his third, a Finals MVP, and, of course, an NBA champion. In the other locker room is a 22-year-old phenom hungry to create his own legacy. Anthony Edwards is off to a tremendous start to his postseason career.
Edwards is one of just six players in NBA history to average 28.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in their playoff careers.
In his young playoff career, not only is Ant in rare air, he’s also been extremely efficient en route to his high-volume scoring. Connecting on 48.0% of his field goals and 39.4% of his threes, Edwards is flirting with near 50/40 splits in the postseason well before his prime.
Edwards’ postseason dominance isn’t stopping any time soon. The Nuggets are not well-equipped to defend Minnesota’s ascending superstar guard. While Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is an elite point-of-attack defender, his thin frame will be challenged by Edwards’ physicality. Built like a linebacker, Ant will be able to bull his way through KCP to get to his spots.
Denver’s next best option will be Peyton Watson. The young, uber-athletic wing has the physical chops to match up with Edwards. However, will he provide enough on the offensive end for the Nuggets to justify large minutes? Likely not. At times, Denver may use Aaron Gordon on Edwards, but his downhill quickness will present its own challenges to the Nuggets’ defense.
On the other end, Minnesota has a variety of big bodies to throw at Jokic. While the Joker will definitely still find great success like he always does, Edwards is in a situation to find greater individual success. Expect Ant to outplay the league’s best player for large stretches of time this series as both a scorer and defender.
The winner of Nuggets-Timberwolves wins the 2024 NBA Finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder have had a phenomenal season. No doubt they are one of the most dangerous teams over the next decade. However, from a size standpoint, they might be one frontcourt player short in matching up with either the Nuggets or Timberwolves in a potential Western Conference Finals showdown. As a result, the winner of this series has a golden opportunity to make the NBA Finals.
On the Eastern Conference side of the playoffs, the Boston Celtics appear destined for another Finals trip this season after a stellar year and dominant Round One showing against the Miami Heat. The Celtics’ offensive identity valuing three-point attempts coupled with their stellar collection of defensive players poise them as a serious threat when it’s all said and done.
The season series with these two teams, however, paints Boston as vulnerable. The Nuggets swept the two-game season series with clutch performances and resounding victories that sent a message on national television. Minnesota split their two matchups with Boston as both teams protected home court. Those two games both held dramatic endings in overtime.
The first came in Minnesota as Edwards went nuclear in the fourth quarter and overtime en route to Minnesota’s best win of the season. The second game came on the second night of a back-to-back where the Wolves flew into Boston the day of the game. Without both Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley, Minnesota still managed to push a healthy Celtics team to OT before running out of gas.
The best teams around the league are real threats, but Minnesota and Denver stand above the rest of the field. The winner of this Western Conference Semifinals round will hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy in June.
Rudy Gobert trade critics go radio silent
A heavy dose of apologies may fly into Tim Connelly’s office during this postseason. Seemingly everyone hated Minnesota’s big trade for Rudy Gobert in the summer of 2022. Nearly 24 months later the Wolves are getting the last laugh.
Not only is Gobert slated to win his fourth career Defensive Player of the Year, but Minnesota is winning in ways they haven’t won for two decades. Gobert has set precedents within the Timberwolves’ locker room. An emphasis on winning habits, mental focus, and pristine defensive effort, Gobert has completely altered the Wolves’ franchise for the better.
In this series, Gobert’s rim protection, screen-setting, and rebounding will be essential in potentially toppling the reigning champions. In the event the Timberwolves do upset Denver, expect a series of talking heads to walk back their criticisms of the no-brainer trade for the sure-fire future Hall of Famer.
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