Well, ladies, gents, those in between (or separate from any of the above) – it has certainly been one of the seasons so far hasn’t it? A blow out loss to the only elite team the Nuggets have played, and a 2-1 record in the other three. Those all came against painfully average to below average teams, and the two wins took overtime periods to see them through. It isn’t exactly what people would call an ideal start, especially for a team that has championship aspirations.
Not only has it taken overtime periods to beat the Nets and Raptors, but it took 2021-22 levels of Jokic backpacking the team to pull those wins out. So, a lot of people have expressed their doubts in the team over the last couple of weeks. I can’t really blame them. The team too often appears to be disinterested, and the bench, outside of one good Russ performance, has arguably been the worst bench unit in the league so far. It just hasn’t been pretty, but hey – starters have looked good!
There’s been pros, there’s been cons, but the Nuggets have their biggest test starting tomorrow. The Timberwolves have also started 2-2. They haven’t looked great, though they have looked better than the Nuggets. Anthony Edwards has been jacking up 3 pointers at a rate we haven’t really seen very often.
Considering that, and the somewhat awkward fit of Julius Randle – it may be an opportunity to get right for the Nuggets. It’ll be a gritty and grimy clutch game, or it’ll be a massive blowout. There’s not much in between that I could see happening. This won’t be a 11 point game, more a 2 or 30 point game.
The Essentials
Who: Denver Nuggets (2-2) at Minnesota Timberwolves (2-2)
When: 7:30 PM MDT
Where: Target Arena, MN
How to watch/listen: You know where. KTVD Channel 20, Altitude TV (one of Fubo or Altitude+), Altitude Radio 92.5, NBA League Pass for those not in the Denver market, get eaten by one of the wolf mascots and then pop out once you’re in the arena.
Injury Report: Da’Ron Holmes – OUT (Achilles), Aaron Gordon – PROBABLE (Bruised Right Knee), Vlatko Cancar – PROBABLE (Right Ankle Sprain); Minnesota has no reported injuries
The Three Things
The Thing To Watch For: Christian Braun’s Defense On Anthony Edwards
One of the reasons that the Nuggets felt comfortable moving forward with Christian Braun as their starting shooting guard over Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was his performance in the Minnesota Timberwolves series. He was able to address the physicality of Anthony Edwards far better than KCP was able to. With Anthony Edwards coming into this game on a heater, Christian Braun will have his hands full trying to guard him. It’ll be his chance to put an exclamation point on a great start to the season for him. He’ll have the chance to prove to fans, and those around the organization, that they made the right decision investing in him.
The Thing To Remember: This Will Be The 5th Game
It’s only been 4 games so far this season, and while some are ringing the alarm bells (somewhat rightfully so) – there’s more of a sample size that says it’ll be okay. Take the mindset of what’s happening right now, and apply it to a random stretch of games in January. It would be frustrating, sure, but Jamal Murray has always started the season slow, MPJ has always been a streaky player (as are most elite shooters), and Russell Westbrook has always been volatile. The only person that consistently shows up at the start of the season is Nikola Jokic, and he’s done that this season. Don’t panic, it’ll work itself out with time. Will it work itself out to the extent where they become a championship team? Only the basketball gods know that one. What I can say for sure though, is that they will get better than what they’ve done so far. There will be highs, and there are lows.
The Thing To Listen To: Castles Made of Sand by Jimi Hendrix
I want to try something a little more unique to me and the way I process basketball, so let me know if this is something you guys like. There’s a comment section, and I read every comment. For those who don’t know, I play music – and I played a lot of music growing up. Basketball makes sense to me in a sort of musical context. I can go further in depth in that during the doldrums of January, or maybe the All-Star break if there’s enough demand for it. But the purpose of this little section will be to recommend a song to listen to pre-game, or just set the mood for what’s happening. I’ll include a little blurb about the song – what it means to me, why I chose it, etc. and from there apply it to the preview or recap.
For the first song, I want to recommend Castles Made of Sand by Jimi Hendrix. It’s a song off his 2nd album, and that is quite possibly my favorite album of all time. This specific song I started listening too a lot when I was a young teenager, everything moves so quick around that age, and sometimes it’s important to remember that time keeps moving. Just like all things, this too shall pass. Castles are made of things that will erode too. The Nuggets, in this case, will get right at some point. They’ll find their rhythm. In the meantime, just remember that castles are made of sand. Also, know that these recommendations will eventually get weird or most people’s standards. I’m easing you lot in with Hendrix, but be prepared for some Japanese jazz during March.
