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Fresh off a sweep of the Phoenix Suns, the Minnesota Timberwolves don’t get a reprieve, as they are set to face the defending NBA Champions, the Denver Nuggets. Neither the betting public nor the media are giving the Timberwolves more than a chance to make the series close.
According to DraftKings, the Nuggets are the series favorite (-205) with the series ending in seven games (+330). Writers from NBA.com, Sporting News and The Oklahoman have all picked the Nuggets to win in seven games. Here are five reasons why they are overlooking the Timberwolves chances.
Reason No. 1: Championship Fatigue
Championship fatigue refers to the psychological state of being satisfied by already reaching the ultimate goal. NBA players work their entire lives to one day win the NBA Championship. Once that’s done, motivation needs to be drudged up from somewhere other than childhood dreams.
The last five seasons have featured nine different teams in the NBA Finals, with only the Miami Heat making two separate appearances (2020, 2023). No team has returned to the NBA Finals after winning the NBA Championship since the 2018-19 Golden State Warriors, who lost to the Toronto Raptors.
Reason No. 2: Proof of Concept
Motivation to win the NBA Championship is one thing, but believing and showing you can do it is another. Nobody believed the Timberwolves would beat the Suns in four games. Forbes columnist Shane Young quipped “this is the best possible situation” in reference to the Suns drawing the Timberwolves in the first round.
Used as fuel, the Timberwolves embraced the “they don’t believe in us” narrative and bludgeoned the Suns. They’re in the same boat against the defending NBA Champions, as the underdogs that aren’t being given a real chance to win the series. They’ve done it before, now they believe they can do it again.
Reason No. 3: Regular Season Matchups
Granted, the playoffs are a different beast, but the Timberwolves did enjoy a modicum of success against the Nuggets in the regular season, splitting the series at two games each. One of those Timberwolves wins was on the road, albeit in a matchup missing Karl-Anthony Towns and Jamal Murray.
In their most recent matchup (Towns did not play, Murray did), the Timberwolves and Nuggets were tied 84-84 with just over nine minutes remaining in regulation. Despite having their second-best player sidelined, the Timberwolves stayed with the Nuggets for the majority of the game, in Denver.
Reason No. 4: Anthony Edwards
Is he the second coming of Michael Jordan? The comparisons are flying around, including ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith making the connection on First Take. Even the most ardent Edwards supporter would agree that the take is ludicrous. On paper, Jordan’s first four seasons dwarf what Edwards has been able to accomplish.
The comparison shows some merit in the style that Edwards plays. He’s a fiery competitor, as evidenced by his mean-mugging of his childhood idol Kevin Durant. SLAM magazine has christened him “The Poster Child.” Edwards doesn’t just want to win, but in his own words to Scott Van Pelt of ESPN, he wants to “kill everything in front of me.” Offense, defense, attitude, he’s on the precipice of superstardom, if he isn’t already there.
Reason No. 5: Depth
If we’re being honest, the Nuggets have the best player in the series in Jokic, and one could argue that Murray is better than Towns. After that, the Timberwolves round out much better. Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are already nursing injuries, which sways the depth battle even more in favor of the Timberwolves.
Depth is extremely important in the playoffs. A key injury, foul trouble, or an otherwise tough matchup can leave a team grasping at straws to stay competitive. Both Minnesota and Denver only went eight deep in their rotations in their respective first-round series, though Minnesota can boast a bench led by Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid.
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