3 Reasons the Nuggets should want to play the Timberwolves in round 1
By Alex Murray
3. Take Advantage At The Charity Stripe
One of the very few things it would seem the Denver Nuggets have not done well this season is shoot free throws, sitting in the bottom five in both free throws made per game (16.8) and free throw percentage (75.1). However, that can largely be attributed to Aaron Gordon’s troubles at the line, as Denver’s other four starters have all been hitting at 80 percent or higher this year.
That bodes very well in a possible matchup with the Timberwolves, who commit the second-most fouls per game at 21.6 while allowing opponents 26 free throws a game, which is also second most. The Nuggets should look to get more aggressive in the paint and search for the contact that Minnesota’s players have seemed so willing to give all season long.
The other caveat to this aspect of the matchup is that without Reid and possibly Gobert, it will likely often be Towns defending the rim. Being aggressive when Towns is near the basket could lead to foul trouble for Minnesota’s best player, which we saw him deal with against the Lakers. When Towns is out, the Timberwolves’ offense becomes stagnant, so getting the big man in early foul trouble would go a long way to making a possible first round matchup with Minnesota a short one.
