The Denver Nuggets (4-0) have started the season at a strong clip, and they get another rematch with a playoff opponent from last year as they head east to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves (1-2) for their third road game of the season. Denver has trailed for just over four minutes through four games, and they’ll be looking to maintain that low number in this one.
For Denver, this is their last road game before they begin a four-game homestand over the course of the next week. The Nuggets are currently eighth in the league in offensive rating and third in defensive rating, and they’ve held some strong offenses, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers in check early to start the season. That’s exactly what Michael Malone is wanting to see.
On the other side, the Timberwolves are still trying to work out the kinks that they have in the frontcourt. The Rudy Gobert and Karl Anthony-Towns experiment has continued to spin its wheels, and Minnesota needs to learn sooner rather than later if that is a pairing that can work. Meanwhile, star guard Anthony Edwards has been steadily ascending before our very eyes.
The Essentials
Who: Denver Nuggets (4-0, 2-0 away) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (1-2, 1-0 home)
When: 6:00 p.m. MST
Where: Target Center
How to watch/listen: Denver Stiffs does not condone piracy..unless it’s the romanticized 18th-century type. AltitudeTV where available. League Pass for non-Denver market viewers. Show up in Minneapolis. 92.5 FM KKSE Altitude Sports Radio
Expected Starting Lineups:
MIN: PG Mike Conley, SG Anthony Edwards, SF Jaden McDaniels, PF Karl Anthony-Towns, C Rudy Gobert
DEN: PG Jamal Murray, SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SF Michael Porter Jr., PF Aaron Gordon, C Nikola Jokic
Injuries: Jaden McDaniels (calf) PROBABLE, Shake Milton (foot) PROBABLE,
Three Things to Watch
Keep the Lid on Edwards
This is far from an easy task, and it’s becoming nearly impossible to do already in his young career. Through three games, Edwards is shooting 60 percent from 3-point range on 6.7 attempts per game. After shooting 29.6 percent from the field in Game 1, Edwards has shot 55.5 percent over his last two games. With the way their frontcourt is playing, Edwards is the driving force of this offense, and he’s Denver’s primary focal point on the defensive end of the floor.
Battle of the Bigs
Most teams have just one true center that they can use against Nikola Jokic. For Minnesota, they have two in the starting lineup, and they have more that they can bring in off of the bench. For Denver, DeAndre Jordan has yet to play any minutes yet this season, if Denver’s small-ball lineup isn’t cutting it, things could get hairy, and they could be forced to put more miles on Jokic early in this long season.
Denver’s Bench Minutes
This was often the talking point for the Nuggets last season. Their starters were great, but could the bench tread water long enough for their end-of-the-year plans. The answer ended up being yes. To start the year, the bench has been great. All three of Peyton Watson, Christian Braun and Reggie Jackson have positive plus/minus numbers, and that’s all that the Nuggets are asking for. Can that continue tonight?
