The Timberwolves face the Nuggets in the 2024 NBA playoffs with the fatal flaw of doomed failure.
After beating the Suns, the Timberwolves have now turned their attention to the defending champion Nuggets.
The Minnesota Timberwolves quickly defeated the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs, marking the first time in Timberwolves history that they have swept in the playoffs. However, playing against defending champion Denver Nuggets in the second round will be a tough test.
The Wolves' superior defense has the same chances as anyone else in containing the likes of Nikola Jokic, Jamel Murray, Michael Porter, etc., however, the Timberwolves' fatal flaw in this playoffs remains on the offensive end.
Despite their elite individual talents, Wolves' team situation is built around playmakers rather than goalscorers. Since Minnesota's philosophy is that "an open shot is a good shot," the team has thrived from an efficiency standpoint in three-point shooting this season.
However, the Timberwolves' biggest offensive flaw still has to do with their offensive space.
The Timberwolves have shot a staggering 38.7 percent from three-point range this season. This ranks third in the entire NBA, behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Boston Celtics. Although their hit percentage suggests that they have elite shooters, they don't have enough shots.
This season, Minnesota has made 32.7 three-pointers per game. That number ranks 23rd in the league, and the Wolves' low three-point shooting is due to the composition of their roster.
The Timberwolves often use two non-shooters, usually center Rudy Gobert and forward Kyle Anderson. This year, Kyle Anderson has played primarily as a small forward rather than a power forward, limiting the possibility of a deep shot from the wing.
Karl-Anthony Downs is a great shooter but sometimes reluctant to shoot from distance. This season, KAT has averaged just 5.3 three-pointers per game and 10.1 two-pointers. This season, the Nuggets sit bottom of the pack for three-point shots, averaging just 31.2 attempts per game, and Wolves' slim advantage doesn't give them as much of an advantage as possible.
This lack of overall shot size will greatly hurt Wolves' offense against the defending champions, and Denver's biggest defensive flaw is dealing with Jokic's pick-and-roll. Despite a big improvement defensively, the Joker is still prone to letting opponents take plenty of open shots when involved in pick-and-rolls.
However, the Timberwolves' staffing may not be enough to punish this.
In the dogfight, sometimes, the Timberwolves give up open three-pointers, and the results are often not as good as they should be. When a team's ball passing and offensive flow is not smooth, the attack plan becomes a thwarted offense that relies too much on talent.
Wolves have often found themselves playing in crowds this season, with those attacks translating into actual ball errors and two-point attempts for serious scrambles around the paint field.
Throughout the season, Minnesota ranked low in ball protection, averaging 14.2 turnovers per game, and the Wolves' offense was prone to lead to conversion points and weaken the impact of their elite half-court defence.
This playoffs for the Wolves will be defined as their matchup with the Nuggets, and going to the Western Conference Finals is a complete testament to the value of the Gobert trade and achieving a feat that the team hasn't seen in two decades. If Minnesota beats Denver, it will rely on their superior defense and increased three-point shooting.
In a word, the Timberwolves have fatal flaws, and they are doomed to fail in playing the Nuggets, and they will be easily eliminated by Jokic and Murray.