Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Preview
Dec 9, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard
Andrew Wiggins(22) attempts to drive to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers forward
Kobe Bryant(24) in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
THE MATCHUP
The Minnesota Timberwolves possess a bevy of young talent for the Denver Nuggets to contend with on Friday. The focus of the Nuggets defensively is certainly Andrew Wiggins, who leads the Timberwolves in scoring at 21 points per game. The Denver Nuggets don’t have a swingman that can effectively match up with the dynamic Wiggins, so expect the Nuggets to double team the young wing whenever possible.
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The Wolves are a top 10 rebounding team in the league, averaging 45 boards per game. They are led by rookie Karl-Anthony Towns, who is averaging almost a double-double with 15.9 points per game and 9.3 boards per contest. The Wolves also have one of the better defenses in the league, allowing 102 points per contest, which is good for 10th in the league. The Nuggets offense is lackluster to say the least; so it will take a balanced effort to get a victory on Friday.
Head Coach Mike Malone has also made modifications to his starting lineup over the past week; so it’s not out out the realm of possibility to assume that the Denver Nuggets may beef up their front-line tonight with Nikola Jokic and Darrell Arthur to counter to size of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Joffrey Lauvergne will probably see extensive minutes as well alongside Kenneth Faried in order to offset the rebounding prowess of Minnesota.
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