Nine points per 100 possessions. That is how much the Minnesota Timberwolves, led by Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, have stripped from the league’s best offense through two games. What was once an unstoppable machine built around Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray suddenly looks solvable, and after blowing a 19-point lead in Game 2, the Denver Nuggets are searching for answers as this series shifts to Minnesota.

Defense Wins Championships – And The Games That Get You There

It took an offensive explosion to trim their 19-point deficit in the second quarter, scoring 39 points as a team, but the real reason this series is tied is Minnesota’s defense. Through two games, the Timberwolves have held Denver to an offensive rating of 112.2, roughly nine points per 100 possessions below their regular-season average. Some drop-off is expected in the playoffs, but this is different. Minnesota has turned the league’s best offense into a middle-of-the-pack unit.

The two primary guardians of this impenetrable defense are McDaniels and Gobert. Newer names like Ausar Thompson and Victor Wembanyama may dominate the defensive conversation now, but this duo remains the perfect foil for Murray and Jokic.

McDaniels’ slimmer frame can leave him vulnerable against bigger wings, but his immense length and elite screen navigation make him the ideal defender to chase Murray through ball screens and handoffs. He slips around even the cleanest picks, and his movement is so effortless it almost looks like he is gliding. Even when Murray creates separation, McDaniels has the length and burst to recover late and still contest.

McDaniels has flirted with foul trouble, picking up nine fouls through two games, but that physicality is part of the equation. He is constantly pushing the limits of what officials will allow, using his length and aggression to wear Murray down over the course of a game. It is a risky approach, but so far it has worked, and his edge has clearly gotten under Denver’s skin.

Prior to the series, I worried that the Timberwolves would miss having Karl-Anthony Towns there to bang with Jokic so that Gobert could remain in the shadows, patrolling the paint. They quelled my fears by cutting the middle man and having Gobert check the three-time MVP himself.

Part of what makes Jokic such a handful to defend is the difficulty he presents in one-on-one matchups. Burlier bigs are too slow, and even if they can keep The Joker in front of them, he’s always a threat to shoot over top of them with his token push shots. Meanwhile, longer, more nimble stifle towers are usually too weak to match his brute force and too jumpy to stay down on all his pump fakes.

This version of Gobert touts the perfect blend of agility, length, strength, and most of all, patience. That last attribute is so important as Gobert isn’t falling for any of wily pump fakes. He’s staying down and letting his physical gifts (a 9’9 standing reach) do the work for him.

It is also worth appreciating how dominant Gobert still is at this stage of his career. He just finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in his age-33 season, and when you pair that with his four DPOY awards, tied for the most all time, you are looking at one of the longest defensive primes in NBA history.

The Timberwolves’ coaching staff deserves some credit for their schematic decision-making, mixing in drop under/over coverages with late switches and timely nail help, but, at the end of the day, the duo of McDaniels and Gobert may be the most perfectly-tailored duo to defend this two-headed monster. When you think about it, this makes sense, as the man credited with creating the bedrock of this current Nuggets’ team, Tim Connelly, is now the architect of this Timberwolves’ team.

How Can The Nuggets Adjust?

The playoffs are all about adjustments, and Denver is not going to let another prime Jokic season slip away without a response.

First off, creating situations where McDaniels and Gobert are not matched up with Murray and Jokic makes life much easier. Any time Murray gets Donte DiVincenzo or Ayo Dosunmu on him, he looks far more comfortable. It is not an effort issue, those defenders just do not have McDaniels’ length. The same applies when Naz Reid ends up on Jokic.

Of course, hunting those matchups is easier said than done, especially with how disciplined Minnesota has been about keeping those assignments intact. Every second spent trying to force a switch is a win for the defense.

Another antidote could be increasing the use of inverted snug pick-and-rolls (a “snug pick-and-roll” is just a pick-and-roll that occurs inside the 3-point arc). Doing this makes it a lot harder for the ball handler defender to chase the ballscreen since there is less space between the action and the basket. One of the few instances where Murray and Jokic had success in the fourth quarter of Game 2 came when Denver called on this very concept:

Three-man actions like Spain pick-and-rolls and Rip DHOs, also known as Peja action, could open another pathway. It is much harder for three defenders to stay connected than two, and involving a third player guarded by a weaker defender naturally creates matchup advantages. Even when the possession does not end in a basket, it generates cleaner looks for Murray.

The Timberwolves have always defended the Murray-Jokic pairing better than anyone, but this is not the same roster that beat Denver in seven games in 2024. No one on the roster can replace Nickeil Alexander-Walker, which means McDaniels now carries an even heavier burden. Anthony Edwards has helped ease that load, but he is also handling a bigger offensive role, especially with Mike Conley having clearly declined since their last postseason meeting.

This will not be easy, and it is already clear this series is far more competitive than many expected. But if Denver can diversify its offense, avoid getting stuck in isolation-heavy possessions, and consistently force Minnesota out of its comfort zones, the Nuggets still have the tools to take control. The margin for error is just much thinner now.