Everyone predicted the Denver Nuggets would be in the NBA Finals before the season even started. They do, after all, have the greatest player in the world in Nikola Jokic (who just won his third MVP award), along with an excellent group of backup players in Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and Jamal Murray. 

Everyone predicted the Denver Nuggets would be in the NBA Finals before the season even started. They do, after all, have the greatest player in the world in Nikola Jokic (who just won his third MVP award), along with an excellent group of backup players in Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and Jamal Murray. After placing second in the regular season (57–25), the defending NBA champions were expected to rule the West.

But there have been questions after the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 98-90 defeat in Game 7 of the second round. What did the Nuggets do wrong? After being the team to beat in the West, how did Jokic and Murray lose to Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns? The causes behind the Nuggets’ downfall against the Timberwolves are known to us.

1. Insufficient DepthWith the departures of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, there was concern at the beginning of the season about the Denver Nuggets’ lack of depth. Even though Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic get most of the spotlight, the supporting cast members frequently win crucial games in the postseason. Last year, Brown and Green were indispensable, and their influence went beyond statistics.

Brown had a notable playoff season last year, averaging 12.0 points per game, highlighted by a 21-point effort in Game 4 of the Finals. In addition to being a superb defender, the swingman consistently came up with plays at the right time. Even though Jeff Green only scored 4.1 points per game throughout the playoffs, he was still a top-tier defender who could be relied upon to play 17.2 minutes each game.

The Nuggets lacked players of Brown and Green’s caliber this season. In the playoffs this year, just three players—Christian Braun, Reggie Jackson, and Justin Holiday—played more than ten minutes per game, yet none of them scored almost ten points per contest on average. Braun scored 5.1 points per game, which made him the top scorer off the bench. That was just not going to work, especially with the Sixth Man of the Year, Naz Reid, of the Timberwolves, on the court. Reid’s 11 points in the fourth quarter of Game 7 effectively turned the tide of the match.

2. The Pioneers Are WearyBrown and Green, the Nuggets’ reliable backups, were unable to keep up with their starters, and it was clear that they were worn out. In the series against the Timberwolves, Nikola Jokic made low-IQ moves for the first time since winning the league MVP award. Jokic committed seven mistakes in the Timberwolves’ first game and four in the crushing defeat in Game 2.

Even though he picked it up and dominated on the stat sheet later in the game, Jokic had to shoulder a significant burden early on since it appeared that the big man was having trouble handling the Timberwolves’ swarming defense. In Game 7, he was forced to play 47 minutes with only one minute off due to coach Mike Malone’s lack of a reliable backup center.

Jamal Muray struggled throughout the series and played 43 minutes in Game 7. Despite being on the bench, he managed to score eight points in the decisive Game 2 and avoided suspension by hurling a heat pack onto the court. The point guard was worn out dealing with Minnesota’s top defensive players, as evidenced by his 10-point effort in Game 6.

Twice during the series, Aaron Gordon played more than forty minutes and was the Nuggets’ primary inside-the-paint and outside-the-court defender. Denver did not have enough behind the forward, therefore he was forced to play a significant number of minutes during the season. The Nuggets might not have enough energy to score against the greatest defense in the NBA and still be able to handle them on defense with little rest because of a combination of depth concerns and Malone’s over-reliance on his starters.

3. The Real Deal Is Anthony EdwardsOne of the greatest players in the NBA right now is Anthony Edwards. His ability to lead by example and score from the outside has been refreshing, so it might have came sooner than we expected. Edwards has revived the old-school in a league where players appear to avoid confrontation and instead offer excuses. On the court, he plays with pure enthusiasm and wants to win at any costs.

During the series versus the Nuggets, the shooting guard averaged 27.7 points per game while making 50.0% of his field goals. Despite his impressive performances—43 points in Game 1 and 44 points in Game 4, respectively—his impact was not reflected in the stat sheet. Edwards’ effort in Game 7 epitomizes what it meant to be an impact player. Edwards’ brilliance off the double teams and defense of Jamal Murray in the fourth quarter provided Minnesota the opportunity to win even though he only scored 16 points on 6-24 shooting.

As the team’s leader, Edwards was instrumental in leading the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals. His stat sheet alone does not do him justice. His killing mentality was on display the whole series, and when Minnesota took a 2-0 lead early on, he set the tone. It’s never easy to compete against Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, but Edwards proved he was the real deal at this point.

4. The NBA’s Top Defensive Team Is The TimberwolvesWe witnessed numerous instances of why the Minnesota Timberwolves are the NBA’s top defensive club. They had the four-time Defensive Player of the Year in their ranks and led the team in OPPG (106.5) throughout the regular season. The Timberwolves quickly took a 2-0 series lead in Game 1 and 2, outplaying the Nuggets with active hands and fast switching. They had a slight defensive lapse in Games 5 and 7, but they recovered in those games.

In Game 6, the Nuggets were limited to 70 points on 30.2% field goal and 19.4% three-point shooting. Teams just no longer defend at this caliber in the modern NBA, which makes these stats astounding. Due to the Timberwolves’ rapid perimeter switching, the Nuggets only managed 90 points and shot 24.2% from three in Game 7. They consistently contested shooters well and doubled Jokic at the appropriate times.

Despite his detractors’ valid concerns, Rudy Gobert turned in a fantastic effort in Game 7. Although he was unable to prevent Jokic from grabbing a whopping 19 rebounds in Game 7, he was still a factor in the paint due to his size and timely blocks. On defense, Karl-Anthony Towns was as amazing, slugging it out with Jokic and hitting the hoop with his body. Throughout the series, Gobert and Towns—two outstanding defensive players—led the charge while Edwards, McDaniels, and Alexander-Walker contributed from the outside.

5. Jamal Murray Is Not Always A Reliable StarIn Game 7, Jamal Murray was outstanding, leading them early in the contest with 35 points. But Murray’s inconsistent play has a reason he hasn’t been selected to an All-Star team yet. After scoring 17 points on 6-14 shots in Game 1, he had a miserable 8 points on 3-18 shooting in Game 2. After failing to leave his mark in the opening two games, Minnesota gained confidence, and the Nuggets had an uphill battle the entire time.

Murray will only be able to push the Nuggets so far, if Jokic continues to be a triple-double monster. Denver’s success mostly depends on its point guard hitting shots and performing effectively; when he doesn’t, they have difficulty winning. Another example of Murray’s inconsistent play was his 10-point effort in Game 6, which resulted in losses for the Nuggets in each of those games. Murray will be an invincible addition to Denver’s squad, but he must continue to be reliable so that Jokic has a reliable partner. If Murray doesn’t deliver, Denver will consistently lose.

After placing second in the regular season (57–25), the defending NBA champions were expected to rule the West.

But there have been questions after the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 98-90 defeat in Game 7 of the second round. What did the Nuggets do wrong? After being the team to beat in the West, how did Jokic and Murray lose to Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns? The causes behind the Nuggets’ downfall against the Timberwolves are known to us.

1. Insufficient DepthWith the departures of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green, there was concern at the beginning of the season about the Denver Nuggets’ lack of depth. Even though Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic get most of the spotlight, the supporting cast members frequently win crucial games in the postseason. Last year, Brown and Green were indispensable, and their influence went beyond statistics.

Brown had a notable playoff season last year, averaging 12.0 points per game, highlighted by a 21-point effort in Game 4 of the Finals. In addition to being a superb defender, the swingman consistently came up with plays at the right time. Even though Jeff Green only scored 4.1 points per game throughout the playoffs, he was still a top-tier defender who could be relied upon to play 17.2 minutes each game.

The Nuggets lacked players of Brown and Green’s caliber this season. In the playoffs this year, just three players—Christian Braun, Reggie Jackson, and Justin Holiday—played more than ten minutes per game, yet none of them scored almost ten points per contest on average. Braun scored 5.1 points per game, which made him the top scorer off the bench. That was just not going to work, especially with the Sixth Man of the Year, Naz Reid, of the Timberwolves, on the court. Reid’s 11 points in the fourth quarter of Game 7 effectively turned the tide of the match.

2. The Pioneers Are WearyBrown and Green, the Nuggets’ reliable backups, were unable to keep up with their starters, and it was clear that they were worn out. In the series against the Timberwolves, Nikola Jokic made low-IQ moves for the first time since winning the league MVP award. Jokic committed seven mistakes in the Timberwolves’ first game and four in the crushing defeat in Game 2.

Even though he picked it up and dominated on the stat sheet later in the game, Jokic had to shoulder a significant burden early on since it appeared that the big man was having trouble handling the Timberwolves’ swarming defense. In Game 7, he was forced to play 47 minutes with only one minute off due to coach Mike Malone’s lack of a reliable backup center.

Jamal Muray struggled throughout the series and played 43 minutes in Game 7. Despite being on the bench, he managed to score eight points in the decisive Game 2 and avoided suspension by hurling a heat pack onto the court. The point guard was worn out dealing with Minnesota’s top defensive players, as evidenced by his 10-point effort in Game 6.

Twice during the series, Aaron Gordon played more than forty minutes and was the Nuggets’ primary inside-the-paint and outside-the-court defender. Denver did not have enough behind the forward, therefore he was forced to play a significant number of minutes during the season. The Nuggets might not have enough energy to score against the greatest defense in the NBA and still be able to handle them on defense with little rest because of a combination of depth concerns and Malone’s over-reliance on his starters.

3. The Real Deal Is Anthony EdwardsOne of the greatest players in the NBA right now is Anthony Edwards. His ability to lead by example and score from the outside has been refreshing, so it might have came sooner than we expected. Edwards has revived the old-school in a league where players appear to avoid confrontation and instead offer excuses. On the court, he plays with pure enthusiasm and wants to win at any costs.

During the series versus the Nuggets, the shooting guard averaged 27.7 points per game while making 50.0% of his field goals. Despite his impressive performances—43 points in Game 1 and 44 points in Game 4, respectively—his impact was not reflected in the stat sheet. Edwards’ effort in Game 7 epitomizes what it meant to be an impact player. Edwards’ brilliance off the double teams and defense of Jamal Murray in the fourth quarter provided Minnesota the opportunity to win even though he only scored 16 points on 6-24 shooting.

As the team’s leader, Edwards was instrumental in leading the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals. His stat sheet alone does not do him justice. His killing mentality was on display the whole series, and when Minnesota took a 2-0 lead early on, he set the tone. It’s never easy to compete against Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, but Edwards proved he was the real deal at this point.

4. The NBA’s Top Defensive Team Is The TimberwolvesWe witnessed numerous instances of why the Minnesota Timberwolves are the NBA’s top defensive club. They had the four-time Defensive Player of the Year in their ranks and led the team in OPPG (106.5) throughout the regular season. The Timberwolves quickly took a 2-0 series lead in Game 1 and 2, outplaying the Nuggets with active hands and fast switching. They had a slight defensive lapse in Games 5 and 7, but they recovered in those games.

In Game 6, the Nuggets were limited to 70 points on 30.2% field goal and 19.4% three-point shooting. Teams just no longer defend at this caliber in the modern NBA, which makes these stats astounding. Due to the Timberwolves’ rapid perimeter switching, the Nuggets only managed 90 points and shot 24.2% from three in Game 7. They consistently contested shooters well and doubled Jokic at the appropriate times.

Despite his detractors’ valid concerns, Rudy Gobert turned in a fantastic effort in Game 7. Although he was unable to prevent Jokic from grabbing a whopping 19 rebounds in Game 7, he was still a factor in the paint due to his size and timely blocks. On defense, Karl-Anthony Towns was as amazing, slugging it out with Jokic and hitting the hoop with his body. Throughout the series, Gobert and Towns—two outstanding defensive players—led the charge while Edwards, McDaniels, and Alexander-Walker contributed from the outside.

5. Jamal Murray Is Not Always A Reliable StarIn Game 7, Jamal Murray was outstanding, leading them early in the contest with 35 points. But Murray’s inconsistent play has a reason he hasn’t been selected to an All-Star team yet. After scoring 17 points on 6-14 shots in Game 1, he had a miserable 8 points on 3-18 shooting in Game 2. After failing to leave his mark in the opening two games, Minnesota gained confidence, and the Nuggets had an uphill battle the entire time.

Murray will only be able to push the Nuggets so far, if Jokic continues to be a triple-double monster. Denver’s success mostly depends on its point guard hitting shots and performing effectively; when he doesn’t, they have difficulty winning. Another example of Murray’s inconsistent play was his 10-point effort in Game 6, which resulted in losses for the Nuggets in each of those games. Murray will be an invincible addition to Denver’s squad, but he must continue to be reliable so that Jokic has a reliable partner. If Murray doesn’t deliver, Denver will consistently lose.