The Timberwolves got a great Game One performance from Rudy Gobert on Nikola Jokic. He held him in check and made him work for everything he got, relatively containing the three-time MVP. But the Nuggets will happily live with that, as Joker is still going to find a way to make an impact, and by dragging Rudy out of the paint, Denver nullified his rim protection and opened up the lane for everyone else.
Minnesota is unlikely to win that way, and if anything, they got lucky with some poor Denver shooting. But, they need to get Rudy back into his familiar role where he can dominate the rim, without allowing Jokic to go nuclear. They had the answer last time these teams met in the playoffs in Karl-Anthony Towns, but now KAT is on the Knicks, and neither of the remaining bigs, Julius Randle or Naz Reid, is equipped for the job.
This may seem like a desperation play, but the Wolves can ill afford to go down 0-2 in this series, so they have to reach deep into their bag of tricks. Don’t be surprised if Chris Finch gets a little unconventional and decides to dust off Kyle Anderson to try to cover Jokic.
Kyle Anderson could be an X-Factor for Timberwolves
It may not make sense on paper, but Slo-Mo, even at his advanced age, has proven to be a real option for Minnesota, who can anchor their defense. He has thrived in brief minutes as a small-ball five, and the defense is incredible when he plays alongside Gobert as well.
He has a bizarre combination of size, strength, athleticism, and smarts, and it may not always look pretty, but he’s generally able to get the job done. His savvy, methodical movements are oddly a great matchup for Jokic, and while nobody is expecting him to shut down the Joker, he may be able to frustrate him to the point where Nikola finally just takes over with brute force.
But at least, if Rudy is at the backline waiting, that could make things tough. This is a strategy that, if nothing else, would at least be likely to take Denver out of a rhythm and force them to play a way they’d rather not.
It may not work, and it may even play right into the Nuggets’ hands, but it’s definitely something for David Adelman and company to be prepared for. Anderson played just 7 minutes in Game One, but had a neutral net rating in a game his team lost by 11. Don’t be surprised if he gets a bigger opportunity as this series progresses, as Finch tries to rattle the Nuggets’ unflappable offense.
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