SUMMARY
- The Timberwolves currently rank top five in the league for points average, points differential, points allowed, rebounds, and field goal percentage.
- LeBron James perfectly pens down why the Timberwolves succeed and it's because of their defensive efforts.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been quite surprising this post-season and they’ve proven that great defense translates into good offense. Additionally, Anthony Edwards has risen as one of the biggest superstars after helping the Wolves sweep the Phoenix Suns in the first round. But what is even more impressive is that they are currently 2-0 against the defending champions.
This Minnesota Timberwolves defensive possession is INCREDIBLE pic.twitter.com/sNnRAx4qsB
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 7, 2024
Having won his third MVP in four years, Nikola Jokic is going to face a lot of pressure moving further into the series. They’ve lost home-court advantage and will be taking on the Wolves at the Target Center in Minneapolis. While the post-season proceeds into its most crucial stage, LeBron James took some time to provide some intel on what makes the Wolves a stronger team than the Denver Nuggets.
LeBron James applauds the Timberwolves for giving into Chris Finch’s strategies
Defense has been the Timberwolves’ biggest priority this season ranking first in the league in defensive rating during the regular season. LeBron James reasoned out why they succeed in restricting the opposition’s scoring efforts. He said, “Obviously, Minnesota’s advantage which they have in our in general no matter if it’s versus Denver or versus anybody, is the length that they have at the wing positions… They continue to barrage you with length. And then guys that also know how to play too.”
He added, “That’s been their biggest advantage because they bought into coach Finch’s defensive schemes or whoever their defensive coordinator is there, I don’t want to speculate whatever the case may be. But he’s the guy at the helm… It’s not only that they’ve bought into the defensive end, they got guys that want to defend and make their mark on the defensive end. So, that creates havoc for any team.”
So far in the second-round series, the Timberwolves have restricted the Nuggets’ scoring under 100 points. In Game 1, the Nuggets scored 99 while in Game 2, they only had 80. Game 2’s outcome was far more impressive since the Wolves did not have Rudy Gobert in the lineup due to the birth of his child. Jokic was limited to only 16 points while Jamal Murray scored 8 points on 3-18 shooting.
The Timberwolves are excelling on both ends of the floor
In the post-season, the Timberwolves have done a tremendous job on both ends of the floor. They currently rank fourth in points allowed and fifth in rebounding. As James said, it mostly has to do with the length that they possess on the roster in addition to their bench players providing 22.6 points per game from Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid alone.
Not only have they excelled defensively, but their offensive ranks second in the post-season in points scored averaging 114.2 per game. They also rank third in field goal percentage and points differential. The Wolves are likely going to beat the Nuggets if they manage to secure at least one win at home. Teams have almost never come back from 3-0 or 3-1 deficits.