LaLover11 wrote:
Great answer and very detailed response
My take is this about the Timberwolves vs Nuggets
Some of these things sound good but they're theories that don't sounds based on how the games have actually gone between the Nuggets and either the Lakers or Wolves.
You said you can put Towns on Jokic... If the Wolves do that, you can bet Towns will get in foul trouble instantly which would take away your Best Front Court offensive player. AD can actually almost Defend Jokic 1vs1 because he's a DPOY candidate.
There is no question that AD is a vastly superior defensive player than KAT, but this doesn't track at all.
Towns has been quite solid against Jokic in their matchups the past 2 seasons. KAT's defensive struggles are against speed and change of direction (and making backline reads). None of these weaknesses matter in the Jokic matchup, as Jokic is slow as molasses and beats you with strength and skill. Towns is the same size as Joker, and does a perfectly solid job bodying him in the post, using length to contest, and preventing Joker's easy back downs.
By contrast, I don't think AD defends Joker well at all. AD's strength are his long, athletic rim protection, and amazing mobility that allows him to switch matchups and recover to play help from all over the floor. He's so good at the most important defensive skills. But he's not very big or strong (6'9.25" and 250lbs.) so he can't keep Joker away from the backbone. Jokic has typically gotten whatever he's wanted against AD if they play one-on-one. We've been watching this for years and I do not see how anyone can argue otherwise. One-on-one defense against a 7 footer with 30-40 lbs. on him is not AD's best defensive situation. This isn't a knock. Bam Adebayo couldn't guard Jokic either, due to size.
If you put Gobert on Jokic now you have no interior defense vs Nuggets Slashers KCP/Braun and will definitely not have anyone able to stop Gordon in the dunker position getting Alleys and Quick Layups and Monster Dunks.
Jokic can also just shoot over Gobert/Towns at the 3pt line and there's nothing Minnesota can do about it.
Well I doubt we put Gobert on Jokic as a primary assignment, so I don't see why this matters? Even if we were, the rest of what you said isn't true. The Wolves play 2 bigs so they always have multiple rim protectors. Naz and Towns aren't elite rim protectors, but they're still big bodies that are adequate. A big strength of this defensive roster is that Gobert is allowed to leave the paint because he have a second big there.
If KCP and Braun operating as slashers is our main weakness... I think we'll be fine!
Jokic doesn't love to shoot a million 3s. He likes it as a counter, or to punish you for playing too much drop. Towns has been quite good all season with his perimeter defense. You do realize he's guarding Kevin Durant in the Suns series, right? You think Jokic as a perimeter shooter is going to be impossible?
Murray will hunt Conley all game and will most likely get the switch with Jokic hand off Screens which is BBQ chicken all day. Murray is struggling because of AD's Quickness helping DLo/Reaves defend him in the paint
Gobert is clumsy and very slow vs guards in the perimeter 100% If McDaniels tries to help defense... Porter JR is getting 30 pts easily
This is nonsense.
Conley is small but he's a really good defender. Phoenix keeps trying to hunt him and it goes miserably. Not only do the Wolves position him well so it's hard to hunt that switch, but even in switches, he tends to survive. Conley is vulnerable against big wings more than quick guards like Murray. I think Conley will spend lots of time on Murray as part of our game plan.
You're really not watching the Suns series if you think the Wolves defense is vulnerable to DHO action and screens. The Wolves have been absolutely clamping the exact actions you're talking about.
Gobert isn't clumsy or slow. I get that he looks awkward, but anyone who's watched Gobert this year (or just look at the numbers if you dont want to watch), knows that guards get nothing on Gobert switches. It's not pretty but he's really hard to shoot over or get a step on.
KCP will do so much better than Beal/Booker/Durant vs Edwards.
Yes the Nuggets in general are a better defensive team than the Suns. Not just KCP. I think Denver is going to do way better stopping our offense.
Porter JR is going to keep McDaniels so busy he won't be able to help anybody with Murray whatsoever
Right...McDaniels is having zero struggles against Booker and Durant but Porter JR is an IMPOSSIBLE problem for him!
If Edwards starts doing that ego full court defense like I've seen him do vs the Suns he's going to get in foul trouble and Nuggets will catch the Wolves out of position
What are you basing this on?
Ant hasn't had big foul trouble problems.
Wolves have No Playoff experience winning at all
They haven't experienced dealing with Playoff pressure
When Jokic is getting 35pts/14rebs/14 ast and Porter JR hitting daggers that will frustrate the whole inexperienced Timberwolves.
I guess we'll see how it goes. These aren't really strategic observations. I do think Denver is likely to win the series. Our discussion here is about whether the Wolves are a better matchup than the Lakers.
I will point out that the Wolves have way more experience beating the Nuggets
Even in the playoffs, it's taken your Lakers 2 years to match our playoff experience at beating the Nuggets
Hopefully we won't have to experience this scenario because the Lakers are winning the Series in 7
Best of luck.
