The Denver Nuggets have been getting bullied and attacked by the Minnesota Timberwolves in their first-round playoff series. So much so, Jaden McDaniels called them out by name as "bad" defenders, and then the Timberwolves just got more physical and kept attacking the Nuggets in Game 3. It led to an absurd 68 points in the paint, showing yet again that the leak at the rim is sinking the ship, and sadly, showing McDaniels is right, for now at least.
The Nuggets have actually been playing decent perimeter defense in the series. The Timberwolves shot just 26.5% from beyond the arc in Game 3 and 32.4% in Game 1.
But through three games, the Nuggets have allowed the most points in the paint of any playoff team, by a wide margin. There's no stopping the leak right now. There could be a way to get some stops, but it would force the Nuggets to be something different than they have been this series. Physically and mentally, they need a quick adjustment.
The Nuggets lack physicality and a chip on their shoulders
Jaden McDaniels called the Nuggets out by name as bad defenders, and then the Nuggets proceeded to allow 68 points in the paint. If this were the late 80s or early 90's, Bad Boys' Pistons era basketball, we wouldn't have seen 68 points in the paint. The Nuggets would have stepped up and gotten a body in the way and put some Timberwolves players on the floor without a flop. No easy buckets after that callout.
That's not how it's done in today's NBA, but the Nuggets have to get a body on someone at some point. You can't win in the playoffs when you give up too many easy layups. Contest someone driving to the hoop, please.
Nikola Jokic looked like a bullfighter in Game 3, allowing an astounding 20/27 at the hoop. You can't win a game when you let your opponent have that many easy buckets.
And to make it worse, the flippancy of the Nuggets to just brush off McDaniels' comments and then just allow the Wolves to be more physical in the game, and to have no energy or fight back, is very odd to see. They didn't have the same reaction you would have expected under former head coach Michael Malone. And head coach David Adelman had a soft reaction as well.
If those don't change in Game 4, it could be a long night leading to a short series. Nuggets fans expect a fight. They've seen the Nuggets rally before from a 2-1 series deficit in the first round just last year. But the leaks have to be plugged to give them the best chance.
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