Wolves-Nuggets III: The Rubber Match & 2026 Playoff Preview

The NBA’s newest rivalry reaches its "WrestleMania" moment as the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets prepare for their third playoff meeting in four years. Host Steve Hartman is joined by Andrew Dukowitz (Zone Coverage, Hitting the Hardwood) to break down every angle of this high-stakes first-round series.

With the playoff history between these two teams currently tied at one series apiece, this "rubber match" carries massive implications for both franchises. Steve and Andrew dive into the tactical chess match, the "legacy" stakes for the stars, and why the Wolves might thrive as heavy underdogs.

Key Discussion Points

• The Murray Blueprint: Will the Wolves start Jaden McDaniels on Jamal Murray, or will they lean on the "trifecta" of Donte DiVincenzo, Ayo Dosunmu, and Bones Hyland to navigate the Denver backcourt?.
• The Rudy-Jokić Legacy Series: Is this the moment Rudy Gobert silences the critics? We discuss the philosophy of guarding Nikola Jokić—from "throwing the kitchen sink" at him to letting him score 50 while shutting down everyone else.
• Ant vs. The Nuggets Defense: Denver has historically struggled to slow down Anthony Edwards. With limited rim protection on the Nuggets' roster, can the Wolves’ offense turn this series into a "track meet"?.
• The X-Factors: Why Jaden McDaniels has "Scottie Pippen" potential in this series and how Ayo Dosunmu’s speed could punish Denver’s double-teams.
• Injury Reports & Rotations: The latest on Peyton Watson’s status for Denver and how his potential absence impacts the Nuggets' wing depth.
• Predictions: Andrew and Steve make their final calls on who advances in what feels like a coin-toss series.

About the Guest

Andrew Dukowitz covers the Timberwolves and Lynx for Zone Coverage and is the host of the Missing Wolves and Missing Links postgame podcast shows. You can find his work at Hitting the Hardwood and follow him on social media @adukemn.

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube. 

Follow Splash City Basketball Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Bluesky. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Bag in there, back in and back again. Whoa, whoa, bag. Hey, what's up, everyone? Welcome to the Splash City Basketball Podcast. I'm your host, Steve Hartman, and today's episode is all focused on round three, Timberwolves Nuggets, Minnesota, Denver, first round, Western Conference playoffs. Should be an outstanding series. All the ESPN pundits picking the nuggets, but there are some Wolves love to be had and to be found. We'll break it all down today with Andrew Dukowitz from Zone Coverage and Hitting the Hardwood Missing Wolves Podcast. After tomorrow's game, you can go to Hitting the Hardwood or Missing Wolves Podcast on YouTube and enjoying the conversation. If you are enjoying the podcast, please give us a follow on Instagram, Facebook, Blue Sky, subscribe on YouTube, and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Love to hear your feedback, comments, and get you involved, but appreciate you all listening. And with that, let's talk to Andrew Dukowitz from Zone Coverage. All right, it's volume three of the Timberwolves Nuggets playoff rivalry. Um kicks off this weekend. Andrew Dukowitz from Zone Coverage, kind enough to join me today to break it all down. Andrew, it's great to see you as always.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

Out of me. And uh, I mean, this is the third WrestleMania, right? Like that's that's kind of how I think of this type of stuff. WrestleMania is this weekend. This is the rubber match, tied one-to-one. I guess we'll figure out uh what iteration is better.

SPEAKER_01 1:32

Yeah, it's not quite Joe Frazier or Muhammad Ali, but uh it's nice to have uh you know a little bit of a rivalry. I feel like the Timberwolves have always kind of been without a key rival, and and the Nuggets have kind of filled that void, I guess, the last few years. So should be a great series. Uh, there's lots to talk about. Obviously, there's some familiarity, especially with fans, but uh, as someone who's been around the team, do you feel like they care that they played them a couple years ago? Because obviously the rosters have changed a little bit. Does that does that matter how the results have shaped the last two times they met in the playoffs?

SPEAKER_00 2:06

Uh the the main guys, yes. Like Rudy definitely cares. Like, I think Rudy is is ready to kind of put this Jokic stuff to bed and kind of prove that he is uh a Jokic stopper. I don't know. There's been a lot going on on social media of like Rudy has the most wins against Jokic, and it's like, yeah, but he's also played him the most. So uh I know Rudy's ready to go. It matters to him, and Jaden and Nas, obviously, like this matters to them. This is kind of their kind of core rival throughout their career. I mean, guys like Julius, Dante, Io, Bones, obviously, they haven't been around for all of them. But I was talking to Io yesterday, and he was sitting there saying, like, you know, they're he remembers watching that that game seven two years ago from his couch and is like excited to be in a in a rivalry matchup like this.

SPEAKER_01 3:03

All right, so there is some familiarity with the two teams. Obviously, the fans and the media probably more so even than some of the players, but um, as far as like, you know, Dante and Julius being new, Io being new, Bones hasn't wasn't here for those playoff games before. Um, how much does do you think that matters to them? Uh, you know, the the main guys, maybe versus some of these other guys that are that are newer to the roster?

SPEAKER_00 3:28

Yeah, I mean, obviously, like the main guys, like you got your Rudy Go Bears, like this matters to him. All the stuff on social media going around of him being a Jokic stopper, I think, as you know, he wants to kind of prove that right. It's it's kind of a legacy thing for him if he's able to win the rubber match. Um, Jaden Nas Ant obviously means a ton to them. Like, this has been their main rival throughout their career. So I think they come into this really wanting to kind of knock them down, and also for their season, right? Like, this has been such a weird season. I think if they can go out and knock the Dungats off, like there's some vindication to that. I mean, Julius and Dante, I think they've been through enough playoff battles where it's like that they're kind of just like another day at the office, we gotta turn this one on. Time to time to knock a team out of the playoffs. Interesting though, like Io and Bones both seem pretty gassed. I mean, Bones talked quite a bit this week of like how much it sucked to not be in the playoff rotation last year and having to watch it. And then Io I I talked to yesterday and asked him kind of this exact question. Io is just like, I remember sitting on my couch watching this series two years ago, and like I'm super pumped to be in this one now. And the Nuggets don't have a ton of scouting on me, so hopefully I'm I'm a big player in this. So I think it varies, but for the most part, like this is a team that kind of all together, everyone's on the same message of like it's go time, like we just it's go time. We we got to figure it out and we gotta knock this team off.

SPEAKER_01 5:08

Yeah, it's you know, all season, and I think you've mentioned it about how they they just have this like confidence, you know, whether it's uh earned or not, they just kind of have it. But I think that's the takeaway that their core did this two years ago, right? And beat and beat them. So they have the belief already. Um, I think I've talked to a lot of you know friends, fans, and they're we can beat this team. Like that's the bottom line. Whether, you know, whether you feel like they're likely to, or you know, Vegas doesn't think they're likely to, but I think the belief is that we've seen it, we've done it, this group has done it when they were younger. Um, and so you know, for for Nas, Jaden, and Ant to be two years older, um, hopefully they've learned something. But I think the confidence piece that this team plays with at times um is probably the I don't know, in my opinion, the biggest thing that happened in two years ago and how they can take that into this year.

SPEAKER_00 6:03

Absolutely. And like that's what the this team is confident. Like they they uh one, they love being underdogs. Like Rudy talks about it pretty often. Of this this team just really it's a lot of underdogs. Rudy kind of came from nothing, made it to where he is. Jaden, you know, kind of had to scrap and claw. Ant scrapped and clawed. Julius is just a kid from Dallas, like everyone on this team kind of, you know, overcame odds to get to where they are personally and professionally. So they love that. And then they also like, you know, I I had Rudy kind of kind of agreed with me earlier this week of like they they sometimes just it has to get to a point where they just have to do it, like you know, the hardest possible way. And they so not only are they confident they can beat Denver, I I think this team is like very confident that it's just all right, now we're gonna start playing the best defense in the league and we're gonna go on a title run, which thankfully in sports we get answers. I mean, there's not a lot of ambiguity, like if they win, they win, and if they lose, they lose, and we'll go from there. But everyone in that locker room thinks this is a title run waiting to happen. So I guess we'll find out.

SPEAKER_01 7:30

Right. And like last year, you know, things kind of fell into place. They were also a sixth seed and they win their first round against the Lakers, and then you know, Steph Curry and kind of walk into the into the conference finals. This year looks to be a little bit more formidable, I would say. Uh, I've been saying all year since uh the season started that I thought Denver was the second best team in the league. Um, I'm more afraid of them than I am the Spurs, to be honest. As good as the Spurs are, and as crazy as Wemby is, um, just from an experience standpoint. So this is gonna be it's gonna be a tough, tough test for sure for the Wolves. Um, you brought up Rudy earlier and kind of the social media talk about him guarding Jokic and all that stuff. I threw it out the other day that this feels to me kind of like a I don't know, legacy series for Rudy. Um, not to say that he's gonna hold Joker to 16 and 8 and 4. Like that's just not gonna happen. But um to me, this is kind of the moment where like you've been ripped on by Shaq and Draymond for years. Uh, if you show up and you slow him down or at least get his shooting percentage down or limit him in some way, that's gonna be a huge win and kind of like uh this guy did what very few people have ever done um over a course of a series. Um, do you get any sense that I mean you kind of mentioned Rudy talking about this matchup, but like I'm sure he doesn't think of that way of it this way. But that that's my perception of this series for him specifically.

SPEAKER_00 9:00

Yeah, Rudy's a very big like wins and losses guy, right? Like, I think at the end of the season, when all the defensive metrics come out, obviously, like Rudy takes a ton of pride in being like fifth of in active rebounds and like his on off stuff. Like it, he does care about that because he's just a very prideful guy. I think the stuff he cares the most about, though, is just winning. So for him, I I mean, let's be honest, Jokic is probably going to cook anyone on this roster, whether it's Rudy, whether it's Julius, whether it's Jaden. Jokic is gonna get 30, 15, and 12 every game, probably. And there's there's not a ton you can do, but for Rudy, it's like, yeah, I I might have a bad series, but if we win it, who cares? Like, if we win it, I I have taken Jokic down twice in the playoffs, which is more than anyone else can really say. And I think that's truly what he cares about. And and honestly, like these guys have so much history now that I mean you think back to the Jamal Murray Donovan Mitchell series from I think it was the bubble and the pandemic, where Rudy and Jokic were going at it before they were kind of peak of their powers, Rudy and Jokic. And like, I I think the winning the series thing is what he'll put his hat on. It's gonna be tough for Rudy, though. Like, this series is going to be a tough one for him. Aaron Gordon's now a 40% three-point shooter, Cam Johnson's shooting 40% from three, Christian Brown is shooting like 35, but he's so good at like getting the ball and just attacking. There is no one to let Rudy roam on. So it's either gonna be throw him on Jokic and hope for the best, or it's gonna be someone's getting wide open threes. And honestly, it kind of reminds me of like what Utah did against the Clippers in that Terrence Mann series, where like Terrence Mann had like 30-something one game because Rudy was just having to double someone and like lurching out to get him, and it it might be that type of series if they choose to have Rudy help out and double or put him off ball. But uh again, I think if they win the series, this goes down as a huge legacy thing for Rudy. And if they lose it, Rudy's probably gonna be the guy that a lot of fingers get pointed on as like you can't have this guy in a playoff run, which is incredibly unfair, but also just the reality of Rudy Gobert at this point in his career.

SPEAKER_01 11:38

Yeah, I mean, I think this matchup is so interesting, like just the Jokic, like how they guard him in general. Um, you know, do they because there's been kind of two avenues, right? There, there's you know, try to slow him down, uh force other guys to beat you, and then there's the let's just let him get 50 and let nobody else really go off. Maybe Murray has 20, and then you gotta hope that the other five six guys don't score 60 points. Um I I feel like that's where when Rudy's on the floor, that's the philosophy they almost have to take is just try to guard him one-on-one, let him play his drop and just hope for the best. And when he's off the floor, then I think there'll be a lot more active switching. Um, you know, I think I've heard talk about like Kyle Anderson being big in the series, um, which I think is really interesting because he has some ability to guard Jokic again, not perfectly, but as well as some others. So I think I think the the matchups and how Finch goes about this is gonna be a really interesting idea. Because like you said, two years ago, Rudy roamed. Gordon wasn't shooting that wall from three. But they are deeper with more shooting, which is why from the beginning I've this team is just tougher than they have been the last couple years. Um, so I don't think you can just not guard one of these guys, other than like you said, Christian Bryant. So what what do you think um we'll see from at least in game one? Obviously, changes happen game to game in the playoffs, but like game one, what do you you have any sense of like what kind of defensive philosophy they're gonna take on on the Nuggets? Is it gonna be load up on Joker or is it gonna be don't let him spray it around and get his 15 assists?

SPEAKER_00 13:18

Normally I'd say it's just throw Rudy on him and let let Joker do what Jokic is gonna do. Um it's weird with this week off, though, because again, Finch has kind of talked about it quite a bit of like it, it's been it's it feels like it's a football game that he's coaching because you can completely change your game plan. He's talking about how like Pablo and and Micah and Elston and and uh Kevin have come up with like individual like multi-page scouting reports for each player and each matchup, and like I think we're gonna see some weird stuff in this first game just to see what works. I I know they've kind of talked about it a little bit this week that they have five or six different things they feel pretty comfortable throwing at them, and I think it's gonna be just uh first half of this game, let's throw whatever we can at them, see what sticks, and then second half of the game, let's hone in on what's stuck, and then you know, you get a day off to prepare for game two, you get three days off to prepare for game three, like then we'll hone in a little bit more. So I think it's gonna be a lot of chaos. I think it's gonna be Rudy on Gobert or Rudy on Jokic. I think it's gonna be some Kyle on Jokic, I think it's gonna be some Jaden kind of being in that like weak side help stuff off of Brown on Jokic. I I mean Dane floated out maybe doing like some ants on Jokic, like the OKC did with Caruso last year. I I just yeah, I think they are gonna throw everything at him in this first game and just see what happens. Um I I think Jokic is the biggest problem to solve in this series, but kind of to your point, if they can't figure it out, they can always just go back to Rudy, you're just one-on-one against Jokic, he's probably gonna score 50, but no one else is we're shutting the gasket off on everyone else, which I guess that's a a good fallback plan for them. Um, I I think the other thing with this Nuggets team is they just they're built so much better for a Jokic like team, right? Like, there is no other high ball dominant guys on the team other than Murray. Everyone that they play can shoot, everyone that they can play kind of knows where to be on the floor. And the wolves, I think, are are built a little bit better than two years ago, too. Like they just have options now, it's not just cat cat rooting read, and we have to pray that works. Like the Kyle stuff, I think is gonna be really interesting, and I wouldn't be surprised if they try and just go small and fast quite a bit too with Jaden on the four at the four and like Rudy at the five or Randall at the five and just trying to outpace them. But it's gonna be weird. I think this first game is gonna be really weird.

SPEAKER_01 16:19

Which I think might favor the Wolves just because uh, you know, you get they their their hope, and and I don't know that home court really matters in this series. These two teams play well on each other's home court, so it doesn't matter, but like go get one, like get the first one, put some pressure on them. They're the favorites, you know, go throw the kitchen sink at them and see if you can steal one. I think that would be I I agree on the pace too. Like you and I talked about, I think on the last time on your podcast, about roster flexibility and the now you can go with an Io and you know, Shannon, if he's got it going, and you go small and you are gonna boat race him, I think. Like, I don't think Denver as good as they are in the half-court execution, we're still a more athletic, faster team. Um, the the problem is they don't turn it over a ton. So your transition opportunities are gonna be uh limited, but I think if they can get them out of some rhythm, that that would be a huge, you know, tip the scales in the Wolf's favor. I also want to talk about Murray a little bit because um he's had his best uh season of his career, basically, offensively at least. Um and historically, like, you know, everyone remembers the Kevin Harlan. Uh Nah, Jaden got him in a straight jacket moment, right? Um, but nah's gone. My question is if you think Jaden starts on Murray, or if they go more ant Dante uh Io, because I I feel like Jaden might be that more of that roamer role now because he can go from tagging the roller to closing out and he could still protect the rim on uh on the backside if he moves. Like I do you see any change in how they guard Jamal Murray in this series?

SPEAKER_00 18:05

I think you're right. I think Jaden in this series is gonna be more better suited as an off-ball guy that's just kind of wrecking havoc. Jaden's a very proud guy, so I think the a probably start with just Jaden on Murray, and there's no Michael Porter Jr., so there's not really anyone else to worry about. I think pretty early after Murray kind of burns Jaden on a couple of those Jokic Murray pick and rolls that Jaden can't really get over. I I think then it'll switch to Dante, Io, and Bones. Um talked to Chris Finch about it earlier this week of just like, you know, in the past you have Mike Conley, who is an all-world uh foul drawer on pick and rolls, and also just has built a career off shooting gaps on pick and rolls. And you had Nikhil, who's like, I mean, his ability to like get small and like drag his foot through and like stay in front of people was elite. And you don't really have that. And Finch kind of mentioned Dante, Io, and Bones in particular of like Bones or Dante, you know, really tough fights through stuff. Ayo is able to get small, kind of skinny himself up to get in between, and Bones has the length that like they really like, especially when blitz like blitzing screens or when they're kind of full half-court, full court blitzing as well. I I don't think it's gonna be a ton of ant on Murray. I think just realistically, it makes sense to put him on like a Christian Brown and just maybe give him defensive defenses off until Jaden kind of runs his course. But if I had to guess, I I think that's how it would go is Jaden starts and then after I'm not gonna say he fails, but after it gets a little a little sticky, a little weird, then it switches to that trifecta of ball handlers.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

Yeah, I think that makes sense. Um you know, I for some reason, I don't know, I was talking to somebody last night about it, and uh it just feels like Jaden's point of attack on ball defense. I don't know if it's slipped or if it's just teams have kind of figured out how to use his length against him. Um, but that that's my one worry about him on him, on Murray specifically. So yeah, I'm sure we'll see multiple things, like you said earlier, uh, in terms of how they how they cover that pick and roll, because it is it is the NBA's best. Um okay, so not to not to worry, we're all like, oh my god, how are we gonna slow down the Nuggets? Number one offense for a reason, but there's also the other side of the ball. Nuggets have to guard Anthony Edwards, which they have not had a lot of success over the years. Um, I think the expectation that Christian Brown will start on him, but um what can the Nuggets do differently to try to slow down the Timberwolves? Because there's very little rim protection um there, which has always been a problem for Ant and the Timberwolves. Is it just as simple as get by that first guy and we're attacking the rim? Or what do you think the Nuggets can do differently? Not a lot.

SPEAKER_00 21:28

Great. I mean, Aaron Gordon's tried guarding and the pod. Uh Aaron Gordon's tried guarding ant before. That historically goes terribly. Cam Johnson's a you know, a little more size, but he's not at the level of like an ant stopper. Christian Brown probably gets the assignment because of familiarity, but he's not an ant stopper. And then you have, you know, Jamal Murray and Jokic, who certainly aren't ever going to be put on ants unless something went catastrophically wrong. So So I think this is just going to be a they need to double ants the second he passes half court on every single possession, no matter what. Always they probably put Gordon on Julius, and I kind of think this is gonna be a tough Julius series just because Gordon's such a good matchup for him. He's one of the few guys that's actually like strong enough to push back. But then that leaves up Io, Dante, Jaden as all guys that are probably getting left for that double team on Ant. And that's not good for Denver. I I honestly kind of think this has the potential to be like a really breakout type of playoff series for Jaden and Io. Um, I mean, Io with his speed. If you're doubling off of Io to throw a second guy at Ant, and Ant reads that correctly and gets it to Io, like that, it's just kind of that possession's over. I mean, Io's shown he's good enough in the mid-range and at around the basket that it's just you can't do it. And Jaden this year has developed so much of that weird post-like jumper drive game that you can't really double off of him either. Dante, we know what he can do from a shooting perspective. You can't really double off of him. Yep, and it kind of leaves the Nuggets in a horrible spot. Like uh again, the Nuggets offense poses so many issues for the Wolves defense, but the Wolves offense poses just as many to the Nuggets. I really don't know what they can do if the Wolves are moving the ball. Like, honestly, it it might be more of a let's play these guys straight up and hope that Randall and Ant go back into old habits than like an actual defensive philosophy to try and slow them down. Um which is good news for the wolves. Yeah. I mean, if Ant's scoring 40 and Jaden and Io are both putting in 20, it's hard to see the Nuggets winning this series. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:02

I I think you know, we've talked about this, and I've seen this about you know, at post game, the Wolves talk about getting it. They're the only guys that pass down. Like things just kind of get going. They're they're like Isle. That's where Io and Jaden are probably two of the guys that will throw the lob to Rudy more than others. So I agree, like if they switch. Yeah. Yeah. True. So like to your point though, if Ant swings it and Io's downhill, lob to Rudy, Jaden gets to the paint. I I mean, again, there's nobody on the back end to slow Rudy down if they go that route. So um it I I'm this could be like a 140 to 135 every game of this series. I I'm sure it won't be that way just because the adjustments are made. But um, yeah, I I don't I think Denver finished like 21st in defense, and so the Wolves are top 10 in both offense and defense. You know, if if I don't think you want to track me with Denver, um, that's why I think like if they can like create even a few turnovers and just you know force some tough shots, rebound, and they're gone. There's a lot of doubt. I do I do think the wolves should have plenty of opportunities to score. Again, like Adam Barry.

SPEAKER_00 25:25

I know he was yesterday and said that they're not just making sure if you'll play the first couple games in the series. I've heard some of the other Denver people kind of talking about he's he's not looking, you know. The other part of it is like when you come back from like an injury, it you need to be in shape to play playoff basketball. And he might be like in shape to play a regular season game by Saturday, but I I'm not sure if he's gonna be able to make it, which again, like that's one of their kind of more lengthier defenders that can help slow that stuff down. I I I do want to just agree with you. Like, uh game one, I would not be shocked if this is like 145 to like 138, and it's just which like that it benefits the wolves. Like, if Jokic is gonna play 40 minutes in this series, and you can just play with that type of pace and that type of attacking on him, it it's gonna benefit the wolves. I mean, they just have more levers to pull, especially in in the guard play to get that speed. Um yeah, it it's it's gonna be such a weird series, though.

SPEAKER_01 26:44

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I mean, pace is gonna be a huge part of it. The wolves have that advantage. If it's an up and down game, um, if it's a half-court execution game, the wolves probably are gonna struggle. Um, what about X factors? Like when you look at the two teams, what who who could be somebody under the radar? You mentioned IO maybe having a breakout series. Um I mean for the wolves, I think it's whole team like it's the benefit of role players. He's able to not foul and play 42. Who who is he's gonna have an opportunity to score?

SPEAKER_00 27:26

Could make an impact that could sway one way. He just is. People leave him still. They they don't like if you're looking at like who typically comes to double ant, it's almost always Jaden's guy because Dante is kind of so feared as a shooter. Like, if Jaden can just play minutes, he has the potential to be like Pippen this series, and also like if he can rebound this series, I think it's gonna be huge because you look at like who's gonna be his matchup on on defense, like it's gonna be probably Jamal Murray or Jokic, maybe like Jokic is probably on Rudy, so it's probably Jamal Murray. I mean, Cam Johnson maybe Tim Hardaway Jr. Like it it jaden's gonna have an opportunity to get a ton of offensive rebounds as well if he's crashing and playing aggressive. So for the wolves, I think it's I I think it's Jaden for Denver. Like if they can get Cam Johnson going, which seems like an afterthought, but like if you have Murray Jokic, and then you have like Gordon hitting his corner threes that he's now adapt at, Tim Hardaway Jr. has kind of been a wolves killer his entire career. Like, if Cam can just get going, he's one of the few guys on the team that actually has like some dribble drive ability. That he, I mean, granted, he hasn't really shown it since Phoenix, but like I think that's gonna pose a lot of issues for the wolves because then they're gonna have to pivot and say, Oh shoot, Jaden, you can't roam, you gotta be on Cam. Or Ant's gonna have to go over there and slow him down, which is just like the calories that I don't know in a potential six or seven game playoff series. I don't know if you want Ant wasting calories on defense. So both uh for both teams, it's the wing players.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

I I don't know how much he's gonna play because like he's like the eighth-night guy, but I do think when teams double and like there's always that opening at the free throw line, and Kyle is as good as anybody getting there and do playmaking. Like he can hit that little shot, he can draw the defender, he can he can pitch it out, he can dish it down. Um, I like I don't know. I don't know again how much he plays, but I do think like his versatility on defense and um his playmaking on offense could be could be huge. The Timberwolves are not favored. Correct. I want your I want your prediction. I I'm actually shocked at how how heavily it's it's Nuggets, and I get it, like whatever. But to your point, the wolves kind of like that. What what what is your prediction for this series? Um, I won't hold you to it if things change, but like going into it, how how do you feel about it? How do you think it's gonna play out?

SPEAKER_00 30:38

I mean, first the the nuggets were like minus 400 earlier in the week. Like, that's insane. Like you're saying is like four to one odds that the Nuggets are gonna win this series. Like, that's I think that's part of seems aggressive. Yeah, that's that's a lot. I mean, I was thinking maybe it'd be like minus 220, minus 280, somewhere in there. The four to one is wild. Like, I would I'm not a gambler, nor can we really gamble in Minnesota. I I guess like my series prediction, I I do think the wolves are gonna win this first round. I don't think they have enough to pull the magic off for four rounds because they're gonna be big dogs against the Spurs, big dogs against the OKC Thunder, and then Boston, they're also gonna be big underdogs. But I think for one round they can do it. I think they've shown enough of the magic this year to be like, we can do this, and they have kind of shown that ability to get Denver uneasy. So I do think the Wolves are gonna win. I think it'll probably go seven again, where you're playing game seven in Denver, and then they probably lose in five to the Spurs, but I I think they can bottle it for one series. I mean, the other thing is if they lose in the first round in five or six games, like this offseason is gonna be like they're gonna have to cut ways with a ton of players because obviously it's not working, you're not good in the regular season, your first round exit, like something's wrong. So I think there's gonna be a certain level of like desperation to get past the nuggets, too, just to keep this group together. And I mean, Finch Finch has kind of shown when you have that week off, he puts together a hell of a game plan to come out in this first in the first few games of a series.

SPEAKER_01 32:37

I would say that one thing that you mentioned, I don't know that this series should dictate what they do in the offseason. Like, I don't know that keeping guys around, even if you beat the Nuggets, um certain guys, like I just think they're they need to if their goal is to win a championship, they need to make some changes regardless. Um, also what's interesting is last year's run I thought was such a cakewalk into the conference finals that losing this series to me would be like I think fans would be like, oh my god, two conference finals in a row, and then you're out in the first round. But I'm like, this is a harder series than any they played until the Thunder last year. So this this is to me a coin toss, and if you if you win it, awesome. I think that's a huge accomplishment just to win one series this year in the West, because the West is just so good. Um, I also don't totally tangent here, but like people talking about the East, oh, we wouldn't be a sixth seed in the East. I'm like pretty good teams in the East.

SPEAKER_00 33:38

If you look at those playing records, Eastern conference finals, but let's be real, they'd probably be a sixth seed.

unknown 33:43

Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 33:44

That's what I'm saying. The the playing teams were like seed in the West. The playing teams were like 45 and 37, like they had better records and and I know you know you play different teams and all that, but uh, you know, it's I don't think you know we need to do that. I saw I did I was happy to see Jaden say, like, I know I like playing out west, I like playing LA teams, and you know, he's from the West Coast, but uh anyway, I I don't know. I'm I'm torn, man. I I if Wolves win, I think at seven, I could see the Nuggets winning in five or six, too. I just they're so good. The Wolves, you know, they've built up this equity of hey, when the playoffs come, we show up in that first round and we're really good in the playoffs. And um, so I have that hope that they're gonna do that again. But uh they also have the other side of the coin that they're they're all over the place, man, and you can't make any predictions about this team. You never know.

SPEAKER_00 34:38

I mean, absolutely, and and I I would agree with you, by the way. Like, I think if they beat the Nuggets, they shouldn't sit there and say, like, now we have to keep Julius or oh, we're gonna pivot off of like I think they need to make changes regardless. I just think you know, players sometimes think that way of like sure we beat this, we beat this team, we make another deep run, we keep the band back together. This is a team that genuinely really likes each other. Like, I think they're gonna be playing with a lot of desperation, if that makes sense. Um, but yeah, I I mean my thought process on it is more of like this team has shown in the past that they can turn it on, they've hit those heights this season. Until they get knocked out, I'm just not willing to say they're gonna be out in the first round, which yeah, if they get knocked out in the first round, then I think it's you know, all of us people who are, you know, they they can turn it on and off. I think we have to kind of change our expectations and hold the team accountable for it because that's what they've been saying all season, and they weren't able to do it if they if they end up losing. So again, exciting. I'm very excited for what we're recording this Friday for tomorrow afternoon, yeah, which real quick. I know you have a heart out in four minutes, but putting this game behind a paywall is criminal.

SPEAKER_01 36:04

Like this is criminal, yes, hundred percent. I will be going out to watch it. I am not gonna I drop my Amazon subscription, yeah. So I'm going out to watch it somewhere else. Uh but yeah, insane. Even the playing games, I'm like, are you serious? Like, come on, like what are we doing here? It's so wild.

SPEAKER_00 36:22

I was when I saw that, and I like we have prime, like I you know, it's it's not an issue for me. I'm just thinking of it of like if I was like 22 years old in college, like I just now I don't get to watch this in the dorm. Like now I have to go someplace, right? Like, I yeah, it's criminal. I hate it. I hate this new modern TV setup they have.

SPEAKER_01 36:47

I hate that you have to like go to like four different channels to figure it out. Like, you never know. Like, I just let's have some consistency, like let's have it on TNT and NBC or whatever it is, like two channels, all the games are on there, but yeah, it's it's it's wild. And you know, the the biggest bummer for me tomorrow would have been nice if it we could have had like a 75-degree day like we had yesterday, and instead it's gonna be like 40 and crappy. And I'm like, just sitting outside watching this game would have been electric. Uh, it'll be great regardless, but um this was awesome, Andrew. Thank you for your insights, your wisdom. Uh, where can people find you?

SPEAKER_00 37:26

Oh gosh, uh a duke M N on all socials, A-D-U-K-E-M-N. Uh, post-game wolves and links live shows, missing wolves for the wolves, missing links for the links. All my written works over on zone coverage, and I'm floating around other places, but that's the most oh, and hitting the hardwood. We have a web a website now. Go check that out as well.

SPEAKER_01 37:48

Yeah, I saw that. That's awesome. Um, and postgame tomorrow, right? You'll do a post-game pod tomorrow after the game one.

SPEAKER_00 37:55

Yep. Postgame live will be tomorrow. Um, I will warn people games one and two pod will be starting pretty pretty much on time right after the game ends. Okay. Games three, four, and five. Uh I'll be covering it from the target center, and playoff media takes forever. So might be an hour after the game. Uh, and then game five. I'm going out to Denver if they have that game five. So that one will also likely be a while after the game, but they will happen.

SPEAKER_01 38:27

That's awesome. I was gonna ask if you were gonna if you were getting any hitting the hardwood checks to go out to uh or zone coverage checks to go out to Denver. That's awesome. I'm happy for you, man.

SPEAKER_00 38:37

That'd be great. Thankfully, game five in the first round, they schedule it so far out that I can get PTO still from my day job.

SPEAKER_01 38:45

There you go. Uh awesome. Oh, that's right. We you have to work a regular job just like I do. That's great.

SPEAKER_00 38:52

I have a regular job like everybody else. Yeah, that's great.

SPEAKER_01 38:56

Uh, sweet. Well, thanks a lot, man. This was great. Uh, appreciate you coming on, and uh, it's gonna be a great series, so we'll we'll stay in touch.

SPEAKER_00 39:04

Absolutely appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01 39:07

All right, that's the show for today. Thanks again for listening. Great stuff from Andrew Dukowitz from Zone Coverage and hitting the Hardwood Podcast Network. Make sure you follow and subscribe to that podcast on YouTube tomorrow so that you can join the conversation after game one. Hopefully, we get a Wolves win. We'll see what happens tomorrow night or tomorrow afternoon, I should say, in Denver. Should be a great series. Again, um, I can't wait for it. NBA playoffs is another level, it's almost a different game than the regular season, so should be good stuff. Um, appreciate you listening. Follow for more. We'll continue to put out tons of Wolves content. We'll probably get to the transfer portal at some point, maybe some spring AAU stuff as well in the next few weeks. Um, and then uh I do want to tease out, I got an idea to do this from uh a friend of mine who I play basketball with. Uh, we'll do a pickup basketball episode coming up in the near future as well, probably in the next month or so. Uh, that should be really fun. So uh again, thanks all for listening. Have a great weekend, Go Wolves. This has been the Splash City basketball podcast. Bag and then, back and back again.