Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets, Round 1: Who has the edge?

Who has the edge in the Wolves-Nuggets series? Easy to say Denver does, since the Nuggets are the top seed in the West and the Wolves slid into the eighth spot. Here's a closer look at the matchups:

Point guard

Mike Conley, Wolves

The NBA trade-deadline by the Wolves to acquire the 16-year veteran helped the team's stability. He averages 6.7 assists and is the team's best three-point shooter (42%).

Jamal Murray, Nuggets

The franchise's all-time leader in three-pointers averaged 20 points and 6.2 assists per game after missing last season because of a knee injury.

Edge: Nuggets

Shooting guard

Anthony Edwards, Wolves

He led the team in scoring (24.6) in his third season and had games where he put the team on his back. There were others when he tried to do too much.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Nuggets

An NBA champion with the Lakers in 2020, he's a sharpshooter, hitting a career-high 42.3 % on three-pointers this season.

Edge: Wolves

Small forward

Kyle Anderson, Wolves

"Slow-Mo" can run the point and shoots 51% from the floor. Signed as a free agent before the season, he's a leader who tells "the hard truth."

Michael Porter Jr., Nuggets

Coming off back surgery, Porter nearly matched his breakout 2020-21 season by averaging 17.4 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Edge: Nuggets

Power forward

Karl-Anthony Towns, Wolves

One of the best shooting big men in the NBA (37% on three-pointers) missed half the season because of a calf injury.

Aaron Gordon, Nuggets

The high-flying former Magic standout averaged 16.3 points and 6.6 rebounds and shot a career-best 56.4% from the field.

Edge: Wolves

Center

Rudy Gobert, Wolves

Former NBA Defensive Player of the Year was considered the missing link when acquired before the season. Plagued by a bad back.

Nikola Jokic, Nuggets

A two-time NBA MVP, the 28-year-old Serb almost averaged a triple-double at 24.5 points, 9.8 assists and 11.8 rebounds.

Edge: Nuggets

Bench

Timberwolves

Averaged 35.3 points, but injuries to C Naz Reid and starting F Jaden McDaniels leaves them thin. F Jaylen Nowell (10.8) and F Taurean Prince (9.1) are the top bench scorers. Nickeil Alexander-Walker started the final play-in game as a defensive specialist.

Nuggets

Averaged 32.9 points per game, Bruce Brown (11.5 points per game) plays the most of the subs (28.5 minutes).

Edge: Nuggets

Key injuries

Timberwolves

McDaniels, the team's best defender, broke his right hand punching a wall in the team's regular-season finale. Reid had surgery to repair a broken wrist bone. Gobert has a balky back.

Nuggets

None

Prediction

Star Tribune pick: Nikola's Nuggets, the top seed in the West, are too much for the inconsistent Wolves. Denver wins the series in six games.

. . .

42-40, eighth in West. Lost their first play-in game to the Lakers, and won their second play-in game against Oklahoma City to qualify for playoffs.

NBA ratings: offense 23^rd (113.7); defense 10^th (113.8); net rating 20^th (minus-0.1).

Key stat: 15.3. The Wolves had the fourth most turnovers per game in the NBA.

53-29, first in West.

NBA ratings: offense fifth (117.6); defense 15^th (114.2); net rating sixth (plus-3.4)

Key stat: .504. The Nuggets led the NBA in field-goal percentage (and were fourth in three-point percentage).

. . .

Best-of-seven series

Sunday: at Denver, 9:30 p.m., TNT and BSN

Wednesday: at Denver, 9 p.m., TNT and BSN

Friday: at Target Center, 8:30 p.m., ESPN and BSN

Sunday: at Target Center, 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 25: if necessary, at Denver, TBD

Thursday, April 27: if necessary, at Target Center, TBD

Saturday, April 29: if necessary, at Denver, TBD