The Nuggets are trying to keep their streak alive against the Timberwolves

Well, ladies, gentlemen, those in between (or separate from any of the above) – it’s certainly been one of the seasons so far, hasn’t it? A blow out loss to the only elite team the Nuggets have played and a 2-1 record in the other three. They all came against painfully average to below average teams, and the two wins took overtime periods to see them through. Not exactly what people would call an ideal start, especially for a team that has championship aspirations.

Not only has it taken overtime to beat the Nets and Raptors, but it took 2021-2022 levels of Jokic backpacking the team to pull out those wins. So many people have expressed their doubts about the team over the past few weeks. I can’t really blame them. The team seems disinterested far too often and the bench, outside of a good Russ performance, has arguably been the worst bench unit in the league thus far. It just hasn’t been pretty, but hey – starters have looked good!

There have been pros, there have been cons, but the Nuggets have their biggest test starting tomorrow. The Timberwolves have also started 2-2. They haven’t looked good, although they have looked better than the Nuggets. Anthony Edwards has picked up 3 points at a rate we haven’t seen very often.

Given that, and Julius Randle’s slightly awkward fit – it could be an opportunity to get it right for the Nuggets. It’s going to be a dirty and dirty clutch game or it’s going to be a massive blowout game. There isn’t much in between that I could see happening. This will not be an 11 point game, more of a 2 or 30 point game.

The essential

WHO: Denver Nuggets (2-2) at Minnesota Timberwolves (2-2)

When: 19:30 MDT

Where: Target Arena, MN

How to watch/listen: You know where. KTVD Channel 20, Altitude TV (one of Fubo or Altitude+), Altitude Radio 92.5, NBA League Pass for those not in the Denver market, get eaten by one of the wolf mascots and then jump out when you are in the arena.

Damage report: Da’Ron Holmes – OUT (Achilles), Aaron Gordon – PROBABLE (bruised right knee), Vlatko Cancar – PROBABLE (sprained right ankle); Minnesota has no reported injuries

The three things

Things to watch out for: Christian Braun’s defense against Anthony Edwards

One of the reasons the Nuggets felt comfortable moving forward with Christian Braun as their starting shooting guard over Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was his performance in the Minnesota Timberwolves series. He was able to address the physicality of Anthony Edwards much better than KCP was able to. With Anthony Edwards coming into this game on a heater, Christian Braun will have his hands full trying to protect him. It will be his chance to put an exclamation point on a fantastic start to the season for him. He gets the chance to prove to fans and those around the organization that they made the right decision investing in him.

Things to remember: This will be the 5th game

It’s only been 4 games so far this season and while some are ringing the alarm bells (rightfully so) – there’s more of a sample size that says it’ll be okay. Take the idea of ​​what’s happening right now and use it for a random stretch of games in January. That would be frustrating, of course, but Jamal Murray has always started the season slow, MPJ has always been a streaky player (like most elite shooters), and Russell Westbrook has always been inconsistent. The only person who consistently shows up at the start of the season is Nikola Jokic, and he has done that this season. Don’t panic, it will resolve with time. Will it work out to the extent where they become a championship team? Only the basketball gods know it. What I can say for sure though is that they will be better than what they have done so far. There will be highs and there will be lows.

Things to listen to: Castles Made of Sand by Jimi Hendrix

I want to try something a little more unique to me and the way I approach basketball, so let me know if it’s something you guys like. There is a comment section and I read every comment. For those who don’t know, I play music – and I played a lot of music growing up. Basketball makes sense to me in a kind of musical context. I may go into more depth on that during the January lull, or maybe the All-Star break if there’s enough demand for it. But the purpose of this little section will be to recommend a song to listen to pre-game, or just set the mood for what’s happening. I’ll include a little blurb about the song – what it means to me, why I chose it, etc. and then apply that to the preview or recap.

For the first song I would recommend Castles made of sand by Jimi Hendrix. It’s a song from his second album, and it’s possibly my favorite album of all time. This specific song I started listening to a lot when I was a young teenager, everything goes so fast around that age and sometimes it’s important to remember that time keeps moving. Like all things, this too shall pass. Castles are made of stuff that will also erode. In this case, the Nuggets will be proven right at some point. They find their rhythm. In the meantime, just remember that castles are made of sand. Also know that these recommendations will eventually become odd or most people’s standards. I’ll help you a lot with Hendrix, but be prepared for some Japanese jazz during March.