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The league’s best defense faced a daunting task on Monday night. Battling with two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, the Minnesota Timberwolves were without their best defender Rudy Gobert against the Denver Nuggets. However, the Wolves weren’t going to let an opportunity to take a 2-0 series lead pass them by.
The Timberwolves cruised to a 106-80 thrashing of the Nuggets behind 27-point showings from both Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns. Minnesota’s perimeter defense suffocated the Nuggets as Jokic, Jamal Murray and company failed to create any space to run their offense. While most people often associate great team defense with the quality of shot contests, Minnesota’s defensive dominance came as a direct result of their ball pressure.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is incredible
With Gobert out for Game 2, the Wolves’ ball contain was even more essential. Without the Stifle Tower, it would be a tougher task to contain Denver at the rim if they got there. However, Minnesota’s perimeter defenders were simply not going to allow that to happen.
With the ramped-up pressure for the Timberwolves’ stoppers to perform, Nickeil Alexander-Walker stepped up in a big way. Jaden McDaniels found himself in foul trouble throughout the course of Game 2, but NAW’s presence calmed the storm. Alexander-Walker had Murray in prison multiple times on Monday night.
NAW’s full-court pressure and screen navigation forced the Nuggets’ point guard to work for every inch of the floor. With Murray nursing an injury, it’s clear how irritating Alexander-Walker has been so far this series.
This is what elite defensive ball pressure looks like pic.twitter.com/vTfVR3Tlaj
— Sheldon Wohlman (@3swohlman) May 7, 2024
Surprisingly for the Nuggets, Minnesota’s ball pressure limited the number of set plays Denver was able to effectively run. The 24-second shot clock became a true issue for the Nuggets as the Wolves’ defense slowed them down early in the clock and stymied them late in possessions.
It wasn’t just the guards picking up full court leading to this defensive masterclass.
Timberwolves found the secret sauce to slowing down Nikola Jokic
Everyone knows just how good The Joker is. If you give him time and space, he’ll pick you apart. If you play him one-on-one, he’ll score at will. He’s an absolute half-court cheat code. For that exact reason, Minnesota is putting a body on Jokic in the full court and valuing defensive positioning in ways no team ever has against him.
Earlier this season, Minnesota’s head coach Chris Finch highlighted the value of defensive positioning at the beginning of possessions.
“If you’re out of position early, you’re probably going to be out of position later.”
His words stick out like a sore thumb with the way Minnesota is defending the league’s best player this series. The Wolves aren’t surrendering any space to the two-time MVP.
This is the difference in the series. Minnesota has picked up Joker (& others) in the fullcourt in both games so far
It has forced the Nuggets to play late in the shot clock more frequently & limited the amount of set action they run due to ball pressurepic.twitter.com/FrqyG0Ew0E
— Sheldon Wohlman (@3swohlman) May 7, 2024
Picking him up in the full court, Jokic has been forced to get off the ball earlier. Even after Naz Reid drills a triple, he rushes to the body of Joker. Minnesota has ushered him away from his typical point center role by putting bodies on him 50+ feet away from the rim.
In the halfcourt, the Wolves’ continue to relentlessly body up Jokic when he has the ball. Part of Minnesota’s bet is that their depth can outlast Denver’s. If the Timberwolves get into foul trouble, it will be at the expense of Jokic’s energy.
The Timberwolves coaching staff has nailed the scouting report on the Nuggets through two games. They have found flaws that others were unaware existed. The Wolves are on the brink of history. Up 2-0 in back-to-back series for the first time in franchise history, Minnesota has a real shot to get back to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign.
More must-reads:
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- The 'Most triple-doubles in the postseason' quiz
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