Series Thread: 2) Nuggets vs 3) T'Wolves

[Stakesarehigh]

The Wolves don’t switch very often and don’t double much at all.

It took a game 5 loss and seeing Rudy get the shit kicked out of him before they sent a double towards the best player in the game.

They aren’t going to leave a shooter like Porter get open shots.

A team like the Laker get put in rotation almost every time down the court and will switch even the laziest screen (which is why they have to help so much). It really is the two competing defensive philosophies. And it really does get to the heart of the Rudy trade and the odd Towns-Gobert pairing.

How it translates to the next series: Don’t expect to see PJ Washington to go for 20+ like he did against OKC. Wolves won’t leave shooters like that. Whereas teams like the Lakers and OKC allow opposing team to take 5-7 more 3 pointers each game than a team like the Wolves will.

Love this analysis. And while most teams don't have what the Wolves have size wise it gives a blueprint on beating Denver.

This is where again I don't think Jokic deserves the flowers he has gotten

Phenomenal top 5 year in and out player. But.. he's not elite elite in the sense you can just give him the ball and get out of the way.

Denver was killing it as Murray was playing out of his mind.

Jokic plays beautiful team basketball. But he isn't THAT dude that is a 3 time MVP.

This is all I've been saying.

Hats off to minny on a great series. Love to see new blood

 

[TheSnowdog]

Did anyone else think it was a little weird that Denver just gave up with like 20 to 25ish seconds left? I mean, yeah, there's still a 99% chance they lose but I expected them to at least play the foul game a little bit. And sometimes crazy shit does happen. Even if you've got little chance, its still a chance. And its game 7. Might as well throw everything out there.

Yes I thought that was weird
Denver did that in an earlier playoff game and I posted at that time asking why they just gave up
I think at that time they were not down by too much - maybe 5-6 points - and theee was 20+ seconds left
20+ seconds can be a lifetime in NBA
Okay the foul game
Play defense
Who knows what weird shit can pop up
But to just give up???

 

[HurricaneDij39]

Playoff experience, as simple as that. All the wolves players are gonna delve on this and dedicate themselves to not letting it happen next year.

Congrats, man.

 

[HurricaneDij39]

In other news, Towns making his first trip to the conference finals before Embiid...

@fightinfunbags

 

[msgkings322]

In other news, Towns making his first trip to the conference finals before Embiid...

@fightinfunbags

You don't like Embiid?

 

[fightinfunbags]

In other news, Towns making his first trip to the conference finals before Embiid...

@fightinfunbags

And unlike Jokic, Towns beat a 50 win team in the playoffs. Playoffs are different when you don’t get an 8 seed, a 5 seed, a 7 seed, and an 8 seed. Better to be lucky than good. Jamal Murray is the real MVP of the Nuggets.

 

[tlance]

And unlike Jokic, Towns beat a 50 win team in the playoffs. Playoffs are different when you don’t get an 8 seed, a 5 seed, a 7 seed, and an 8 seed. Better to be lucky than good. Jamal Murray is the real MVP of the Nuggets.

No he isn’t.

That is an awful take.

 

[tlance]

In other news, Towns making his first trip to the conference finals before Embiid...

@fightinfunbags

Can’t do that.

Townes isn’t even the best player on his team.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

No he isn’t.

That is an awful take.

Murray isn't the MVP. But as has been stated at nauseum their design requires him, or one of the other 2 to get hot to push Denver over the top.

I'm aware this isn't some huge indictment on Jokic aside from the fact that it continues to demonstrate he is not a top 10 all time player

Which is what the talking heads would be pushing today if Denver was advancing.

 

[fightinfunbags]

No he isn’t.

That is an awful take.

Nope. Murray is the straw that stirs the drink. When Murray shows out the Nuggets have success. When he doesn’t, they don’t. That was seen in the first and second half last night as well as the entirety of the history of the Jokic/Murray pairing.

 

[fightinfunbags]

Are we even sure Denver lost? I demand a recount. Somebody check the VORP and the RAPTOR and the Box+/-.

 

[PPhan]

Did anyone else think it was a little weird that Denver just gave up with like 20 to 25ish seconds left? I mean, yeah, there's still a 99% chance they lose but I expected them to at least play the foul game a little bit. And sometimes crazy shit does happen. Even if you've got little chance, its still a chance. And its game 7. Might as well throw everything out there.

I did. Weird as hell.

Must not have seen the Spurs vs Rockets game when T-Mac scored 13 in 35 secs.

 

[tlance]

Nope. Murray is the straw that stirs the drink. When Murray shows out the Nuggets have success. When he doesn’t, they don’t. That was seen in the first and second half last night as well as the entirety of the history of the Jokic/Murray pairing.

Because Murray is inconsistent.

Joker always shows out.

You are saying when a good team has a 2nd guy playing at a high level it makes them hard to beat?

Who would have ever imagined that.

 

[eaglesnut]

I did. Weird as hell.

Must not have seen the Spurs vs Rockets game when T-Mac scored 13 in 35 secs.

The Nuggets clearly don't have any players as valuable as t-mac.

 

[fightinfunbags]

Because Murray is inconsistent.

Joker always shows out.

You are saying when a good team has a 2nd guy playing at a high level it makes them hard to beat?

Who would have ever imagined that.

No, I’m saying that Murray is the piece that takes that team to the next level.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Because Murray is inconsistent.

Joker always shows out.

You are saying when a good team has a 2nd guy playing at a high level it makes them hard to beat?

Who would have ever imagined that.

You gotta expect push back when you see the tide shift to calling Jokic the greatest thing since the invention of fire or the wheel.

All the haters Lebron has and the dude has 10 finals appearances. Jokic won a title on the easiest schedule in finals history and we jumped him to the head of the class.

 

[fightinfunbags]

You gotta expect push back when you see the tide shift to calling Jokic the greatest thing since the invention of fire or the wheel.

All the haters Lebron has and the dude has 10 finals appearances. Jokic won a title on the easiest schedule in finals history and we jumped him to the head of the class.

Jokic is the facilitator, right? Isn’t it his job to get Murray off in the game?

 

[eaglesnut]

Because Murray is inconsistent.

Joker always shows out.

You are saying when a good team has a 2nd guy playing at a high level it makes them hard to beat?

Who would have ever imagined that.

Joker is very consistently the 5th to 10th best player in the sport.

 

[fightinfunbags]

You gotta expect push back when you see the tide shift to calling Jokic the greatest thing since the invention of fire or the wheel.

All the haters Lebron has and the dude has 10 finals appearances. Jokic won a title on the easiest schedule in finals history and we jumped him to the head of the class.

And that’s cause Jokic is white. Never fails.

 

[Stakesarehigh]

Jokic is the facilitator, right? Isn’t it his job to get Murray off in the game?

Not just Murray. Obviously he gets his buckets also.

As we saw yesterday he just isn't the type you can just roll the ball to and clear out and have him win a game.

It all has to work within the offense and their sets.

It's kind of like Virginia basketball. They play a schematically sound game that can win a title (and has) but it requires more to go well.

Jokic can't overcome his team having an off game like a Lebron MJ or even Curry can/could.

It should be high praise to Jokic we are even doing this discussion but the talking heads have forced this on us.