Timberwolves built to be like the Nuggets, then they beat them at their game

It's a disheartening day when you realize your younger brother has passed your abilities in pick-up basketball in the driveway. While you were besting all of your friends, little bro was on the sidelines watching, figuring out your weakness and waiting to pounce. It sneaks up on you. You're not expecting him to be better than you already, but alas, he's figured you out.

That's the Minnesota Timberwolves, who were built for this opportunity, and waited for their chance to pounce on the Denver Nuggets, surprising many that they were already on that level. 

The Timberwolves have been built like the Nuggets with one objective in mind: getting past the defending NBA champions.

Nuggets star Nikola Jokic even acknowledged it after Game 7.

Minnesota hired team president Tim Connelly away from the Denver Nuggets in 2022 to come run the franchise. Wolves head coach Chris Finch was the associate head coach of Mike Malone and the Nuggets.

Connelly ran the Nuggets from 2013-2022, building their championship roster with the drafting of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and the acquisition of Aaron Gordon.

Once hired by Minnesota, Connelly swiftly traded away five players and five draft picks, for center Rudy Gobert, a now four-time Defensive Player of the Year, to match up with Jokic.

Gobert, paired with Naz Reid and Karl-Anthony Towns, brought ample size to slow down Jokic just enough. The trio blocked 11 of Jokic's shots throughout the seven-game series, including the rejection from Reid with 3:51 remaining in Game 7, in a five-point game, that might have sealed the Nuggets' fate.

Jokic had a great series, but he was held to 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting in Game 2 and 22 points on 9-of-19 shooting in Game 6, both Minnesota victories (and quieter nights for the three-time MVP).

Additionally, the Nuggets converted only 48% of their shots around the rim, on their home floor, in Game 7, while blowing a 20-point second-half lead.

Connelly also traded away D'Angelo Russell for Mike Conley, a former teammate of Gobert, who was named NBA Teammate of the Year this season and scored 11 points per game in the series vs Denver.

The Timberwolves have the size to match Jokic. They have their version of Jamal Murray, with an even more talented Anthony Edwards. They have former Nuggets running the bench and front office, and now, they even have a playoff series victory against the reigning NBA champions.

Connelly, having come from Denver, knew how to match up with the stalwart of the Western Conference. He also knows how to build a championship roster, which he might have already done in Minnesota as well.