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The Wolves brilliant strategy against Jokic



The Wolves brilliant strategy against Jokic

What did the Wolves do to stop Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets? This detailed film breakdown & scouting report explores how the Minnesota Timberwolves won Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the defending champion Denver Nuggets, their defensive tactic to slow down the Jamal Murray-Jokic 2-man game, and how Denver defending the red hot Anthony Edwards.

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Stats courtesy:
http://www.pbpstats.com @bballport
https://www.basketball-reference.com
https://stats.nba.com
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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.

Music by csus (instrumental)

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29 Comments

  1. I think there's a good reason that Tim Conley is the highest paid executive in basketball, because he built 2 juggernauts in the western conference

  2. The Rudy Gobert disrespect needs to stop. He has improved so much as a lateral-perimeter defender. He’s great and T Wolves fans love him.

  3. I think this video is only half of the defensive story. Tim’s can’t play this way unless they have the perimeter defense to stay with Denver’s wings which they do. Give more love to McDaniels, Ant and Walker

  4. 70% second half shooting is not repeatable. This is going to be at least a six game series. it's going to take special effort from role players game in game out and foul control from kat for the wolves to win this series. More of that Jaden Mcdaniels super saiyan.

  5. Can we please stop acting like 32/8/9/3 is a bad performance? 99% of the league has that statline and we're kissing his ass.

    He had a good, nowhere near great performance.

  6. Im glad Rudy Gobert is finally getting the attention he deserved. He is one of the best shot blockers in the league for a reason. His absence from Timbrewolves last year was the key difference in their loss. He will be the kryptonite for Jokic. "Blocked by Gobert" for a reason.

  7. With the emergence of Ant and Rudy coming on board, KAT has been able to play his preferred style of basketball and get open shots in the process. He’d be loving this!

  8. Its like someone who has done 4 rounds and a fresh fighter comes in on jokic. . Others need to step up , also strong d needed and a fricken strong start. There was no answer for reid for the whole 4th quarter.

  9. Timberwolves did a great job slowing down jokic. But damn jokic finesse finish really impressed me although his fg percentage got down a bit but still really impressive. This series is what I been waiting to watch. Game 2 nuggets need to be extra aggressive for sure. Me personally i don’t mind whoever win this series. Both my favourite teams

  10. It's not new tho. Teams been playing Joker this way for two years. Guess the Wolves are just better at it

  11. Didn’t watch much Minnesota this season but I definitely see why Naz won sixth man of the year, amazing minutes off the bench from him down the stretch. That 10 point stretch he went on sealed the game basically.

  12. The reactions in these comments are wild. I saw the makings of a great series, but the number of people just writing off the Nuggets is crazy. They only lost by 7 and it was a tied/3 point game until 5 left in the 4th.

    If Jokic makes 1 more three (his season average) and turns the ball over one less time (7 is very high) the game is totally different. The 4 day break between games 2 & 3 will also give Murray and KCP plenty of time to rest and heal as well.

  13. i love tht Rudy finally has able defenders round him really shows how good he can be
    long as the wolves play with the same pace n energy over this series they can win but i still think the nuggets will get theirs
    either way Wolves in 6

  14. 32/8/9 for jokic. Damn near a triple double. It was a great run in the 4th by the wolves but nobody slowed joker 😂

  15. That's exactly why the "illegal defense" rule in NBA from the 70s until the early 00's was the worst sport rule that ever existed and its removal changed the game for the better. Zone defense make offense really interesting to watch and decrypt, and is interesting to scheme against.

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