The Golden State Warriors’ season is over after their loss in the NBA Play-In Tournament, but that does not mean that Draymond Green is not still opining on what is taking place in the NBA Playoffs. And he got real on why he believes the Denver Nuggets might be in trouble in the upcoming second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“The Nuggets took the series but I think they’re in trouble, and the reason I think they’re in trouble, and I said this before, I just don’t think their bench is good enough,” Draymond Green said on his podcast. “We saw that again the other night like they’re just not getting enough from their bench. And as you move forward I think the difference in this Minnesota Denver series could be the bench. You got Naz Reid coming off the bench can play huge minutes, Kyle Anderson coming off, Monte Morris who’s a great backup point guard that they’re not really using much but can use. Nickeil Alexander-Walker who’s been playing great basketball.
“I just think the depth of the Timberwolves is going to give Denver problems and yes the match-up between Joker and Rudy Gobert trying to guard him is huge, but I’ve always told you guys you win championships six through ten, not one through five.”
The Timberwolves finished as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, one game behind the No. 2 seed Nuggets. It will be interesting to see if the homecourt advantage comes into play for this series. The two are evenly matched, based on how they played in the regular season. The experience of the defending champion Nuggets obviously is something to factor in, but the Timberwolves have taken a huge step this year with Anthony Edwards cementing himself as a superstar, along with the impact that Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns make.
Nikola Jokic vs. Rudy Gobert matchup
The matchup between Nikola Jokic and Rudy Gobert will obviously be the one that catches the most attention, specifically when it comes to Gobert guarding Jokic. On that end of the floor, that is arguably the most important matchup when the starting units are in the game. If Gobert can hold his own defensively, it would be huge for the Timberwolves.
On the offensive end of the floor for the Timberwolves, that matchup will not be as pressing, as other options like Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns will be options for scoring.
This is arguably going to be one of the most hyped and interesting series this postseason. The Nuggets are trying to prove that their experience will reign, while the Timberwolves are trying to make a statement that they have arrived and are a title contender.