Last years Nuggets a fluke or have the Wolves gotten that much better?

[life_saver]

Few factors...Ant has taken the leap, he is a better scorer and playmaker now than 1 year back. Wolves also have lot better chemistry now than last year..due to KAT's injury last year, Wolves just never could develop chemistry. Wolves are just lot more healthy this year than they were last year. Wolves were also missing both McDaniels, Naz in playoffs last year..even SloMo got injured during that series...still 4 of the 5 games were close games. McDaniels and Naz were pretty big misses

Nuggets are also extremely thin this year..Bruce Brown was quite valuable last year..the lack of a decent second ball handling guard/wing is hurting them

[FarBeyondDriven]

Don't underestimate the fact that this is a rigged league and Ant is a burgeoning star so the NBA has a vested interest in fanning the flames so to speak. The NBA is desperate for new faces of the league and Ant has arrived and his legend can't grow without a deep playoff run and eventual championship. The way they're officiating Jokic and Jokic's apparent apathy looks very suspect to me. Jokic seems like the type to shut it down if he knows what the script is and won't play along for appearances sake. That's how his body language reads to me.

[Baseline81]

Don't underestimate the fact that this is a rigged league and Ant is a burgeoning star so the NBA has a vested interest in fanning the flames so to speak. The NBA is desperate for new faces of the league and Ant has arrived and his legend can't grow without a deep playoff run and eventual championship. The way they're officiating Jokic and Jokic's apparent apathy looks very suspect to me. Jokic seems like the type to shut it down if he knows what the script is and won't play along for appearances sake. That's how his body language reads to me.

That's your takeaway?

How about folks just recognize the Wolves as a pretty darn good team causing all sorts of issues to the defending champions?

This has the same look and feel to it as the prior round when Minnesota stomped Phoenix. The bookies and national media had the Suns favored only for a U-turn about age, chemistry between Beal, Booker and Durant, etc.

[xinxin]

Not a fluke, but the Wolves much better this time; whether they’re just healthier or not.


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[Rafael122]

Combination of Denver not doing great working around the margins and looking tired. Winning back to backs are difficult, it's why only 4 teams have done it in the last 25 years.

[Bergmaniac]

Wolves are much better with McDaniels and Reed being healthy and Ant improving a lot and also Murray is injured and Denver have no bench, not really a mystery.

[jpatrick]

This Wolves team is infinitely better. People don’t realize that Rudy was hobbling around in that series, far from 100%; KAT never was 100% after missing the offseason and then a good chunk of the season; and Ant has taken a huge leap. Plus, of course, neither Naz nor McDaniels played last year.

I also don’t think this Nugs team is as good with Murray clearly injured and Brown gone.

[KrAzY3]

Wolves are built to kick the Nuggets ass. Saying that, series is still not over. Especially with the best player since Jordan, whose better than prime peak Lebron and is the goat offensive player is in this series.

This is the problem you have with a player that is often pass first, and even LeBron had this problem at times. Sometimes you need a guy to put a team on his back, and Jokic is often out there looking for the open guy instead of just going to the rim and scoring. The Nuggets need him to take over, he can't look for someone else to be that guy, he has to be that guy. He had 16 points last night, he needs to be putting up 40 and he's capable of that.

[thinktank]

Don't underestimate the fact that this is a rigged league and Ant is a burgeoning star so the NBA has a vested interest in fanning the flames so to speak. The NBA is desperate for new faces of the league and Ant has arrived and his legend can't grow without a deep playoff run and eventual championship. The way they're officiating Jokic and Jokic's apparent apathy looks very suspect to me. Jokic seems like the type to shut it down if he knows what the script is and won't play along for appearances sake. That's how his body language reads to me.

[jlokine]

wolves got better... there was a time when posters have thought the gobert trade was the worst trade ever.. and commented that gobert's fit with KAT is terrible. They've since learned to play together, anthony edwards took a big step to be the guy. and conley is running offence.

[hauntedcomputer]

Mr. Humble Jokic is far to humble to remain the best player in the world. He is ready to be rid of all the attention he gets for hating attention. He wants to lose so he can go home and drink potato Schnapps on his horse cart.

"Superstar" Murray's greatest career accolade besides a ring is being second-team all-rookie and now he will be the Towel-Thrower.

Poor MPJ has had a tough time with his felonious murdering family so it's no wonder he can't step up.

We were one "Aaron Gordon's pit bull mauled a child" away from the most depraved "Champ Overcoming Adversity" 30 for 30 ever.

[GrandTheftRondo]

We’re different in the playoffs because Naz and McDaniels are healthy.

You also won 14 more games this season, jumped 9 spots in defensive rating and 7 spots in offensive rating.

Neither team is the same as last season so pointless to act like they are the same.

Woooosh. You’ve TOTALLY missed the point about the Wolves:

Wolves were VIBING at the end of the regular season last year.

But Naz broke his hand and McDaniels did too. Missed the playoffs.

THAT’S WHAT’S DIFFERENT!!!

You’re not even a Wolves fan so don’t pretend like you know when you clearly do not.

I know what happened last season.

I’m just saying the Wolves have improved significantly from last season.

The Nuggets aren’t the same team as last season.

The Wolves are a year older and have gotten better which is why they were much better over the entire regular season.

I don’t think the Nuggets improved at all this season which is why I was always skeptical when people were acting like it’s a given that they’d just waltz to the finals. They’ve never been vastly superior to the rest of the league like a KD Warriors or something like that and can just coast and show up when it matters. They’ve stagnated while the rest of the league has gone forward so always going to be tough for them to get out of the West.

[Impuniti]

wolves got better... there was a time when posters have thought the gobert trade was the worst trade ever.. and commented that gobert's fit with KAT is terrible. They've since learned to play together, anthony edwards took a big step to be the guy. and conley is running offence.

I'm one of those people. Completely wrong.

[Iwasawitness]

Wolves are built to kick the Nuggets ass. Saying that, series is still not over. Especially with the best player since Jordan, whose better than prime peak Lebron and is the goat offensive player is in this series.

[MTJazzv3]

No fluke. They dusted essentially the same Minny team last year.

But Murray wasn't hurt and playing like trash then.

We were missing NAW and McDaniels, and when we pointed that out at the time we were told we were crazy.

We’re not crazy. Y’all are.

With NAW being a super minor filler piece for the Jazz in the Rudy trade, didn't have it NAW on my bingo card as a serious playoff rotation player this year. He couldn't even crack the regular Jazz rotation. I guess that was because the Jazz became allergic to wing defenders lol.

[jkvonny]

Don't underestimate the fact that this is a rigged league and Ant is a burgeoning star so the NBA has a vested interest in fanning the flames so to speak. The NBA is desperate for new faces of the league and Ant has arrived and his legend can't grow without a deep playoff run and eventual championship. The way they're officiating Jokic and Jokic's apparent apathy looks very suspect to me. Jokic seems like the type to shut it down if he knows what the script is and won't play along for appearances sake. That's how his body language reads to me.

Ya. They are gonna rig it for one of the smallest markets (Minnesota) in the league.

You and your paranoid takes.

[Bloodbather]

I think the upward trajectory of the Wolves somehow slipped under the radar for many. They got much better over the course of last season. Towns was initially injured and his chemistry with Gobert as a twin tower duo had little time to settle. Replacing DLo with Conley midseason was massive, he gave them the composure they needed. Because of these two things they gradually improved, but then the bust up with Gobert and Slo Mo happened, and in the PS McDaniels and Reid were injured. They still gave the Nuggets the most trouble in that run.

This season, that upward trajectory just continued. Gobert and Towns began to gel, and they figured out how to make the most of their size defensively. They have a three-level defense now, Conley and Edwards (and NAW off the bench) press up, McDaniels and Towns (and Slo Mo and Reid off the bench) form a defensive line inside, then you have to face Gobert. Having Towns free roam and be the first line of defense inside along with McDaniels with Gobert protecting behind him is huge. The most important development is Edwards and Towns' decision making, however. They don't play 'your turn, my turn' basketball anymore and can leverage their own pressure to create for others. That's the biggest difference in this run. I expected their defense to be great, but I didn't expect this offense.

[thinktank]

You also won 14 more games this season, jumped 9 spots in defensive rating and 7 spots in offensive rating.

Neither team is the same as last season so pointless to act like they are the same.

Woooosh. You’ve TOTALLY missed the point about the Wolves:

Wolves were VIBING at the end of the regular season last year.

But Naz broke his hand and McDaniels did too. Missed the playoffs.

THAT’S WHAT’S DIFFERENT!!!

You’re not even a Wolves fan so don’t pretend like you know when you clearly do not.

I know what happened last season.

I’m just saying the Wolves have improved significantly from last season.

The Nuggets aren’t the same team as last season.

The Wolves are a year older and have gotten better which is why they were much better over the entire regular season.

I don’t think the Nuggets improved at all this season which is why I was always skeptical when people were acting like it’s a given that they’d just waltz to the finals. They’ve never been vastly superior to the rest of the league like a KD Warriors or something like that and can just coast and show up when it matters. They’ve stagnated while the rest of the league has gone forward so always going to be tough for them to get out of the West.

“The wolves are a year old and have gotten better.”

That is the most generalized and non-value statement possible. Great analysis.

Last year:

-Towns missed 50 games
-No Naz Reid and no Jaden McDaniels in the playoffs

If the Wolves were HEALTHY we probably would’ve done last playoffs what we’re doing this playoffs.

No significant changes to our team besides HEALTH.

You simply can’t grasp that.

[HomoSapien]

Not a fluke, but the Wolves are that much better. Also the Nuggets are worse and don’t have that same extra gear without Brown. He’s someone they should try to reacquire if financial possibile.

[nomansland]

The Wolves are just better. Deeper, healthier, more focused. Give them some credit.