NBA Preview: Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves

The Western Conference has been hotly contested to start the NBA season, and two of its top teams will face off on Saturday when the Denver Nuggets head north to face the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Denver is 7-2 on the season, with their two losses coming in overtime to the Golden State Warriors in the season-opener and a close battle with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Three-time MVP Nikola Jokić leads the Nuggets in every major category, as he’s averaged a triple-double through the early part of the year. He’s recorded 25.2 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 11.9 assists per game, while also putting up a team-leading 1.9 steals per game.

The Serbian center’s stats have him as one of the league’s top players so far, ranking 15th in points, second in rebounding and first in assists. The early returns suggest that the 6-foot-11 center could have a chance to take home his fourth MVP trophy at season’s end.

Jokić isn’t the Nuggets’ only star, however. Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon are also each averaging over 20 points per game, rounding out a core that has been extremely strong for Denver.

The Nuggets’ overall offense is one of the league’s strongest, ranking second across the NBA with 124.2 points per game and a 50.7% team shooting percentage. Their +13.2 average point differential also ranks second leaguewide.

While they haven’t been up to the same level as Denver, the Timberwolves have also had a solid start to the year.

Former first-overall pick Anthony Edwards has been the team’s strongest player, leading Minnesota in scoring with 27.1 points per game. Julius Randle isn’t far behind, recording 25.4 points per game.

Randle has also put up a team-leading 6.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game as the Timberwolves’ second option.

French center Rudy Gobert has been a force for the Timberwolves’ defense, as his 10.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game both rank top-ten leaguewide.

The teams have already met once this year, with the Nuggets coming out on top 127-114. In that game, Murray dropped 43 points and Jokić recorded a triple-double to push the team to victory.

Last season, the Timberwolves dominated the Nuggets, sweeping the season series 4-0. The year before the sweep, the teams met in the Western Conference semifinals, a series that went to seven games.

In that series, the Timberwolves won game seven to advance to the conference finals, where they lost to the Mavericks in five games.

While Minnesota has been dominant in recent years, the Nuggets have been historically successful in their games against Minnesota, holding a record of 97-69 over them.

For Saturday's matchup, ESPN’s matchup predictor gives the Nuggets a 57.4% chance to win. This prediction will ultimately hold, as Jokić will record yet another triple-double, to go along with the six he’s already put up, to carry the Nuggets to a 134-119 win over the Timberwolves.

Elliott Inscho is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him please email him at eli5026@psu.edu.