Roundtable: Who's the Nuggets' X-factor tonight vs. Minnesota?

It’s the biggest regular-season game of the year. Nuggets-Timberwolves tonight at Ball Arena. With a win, Denver likely locks up the 6-seed. DNVR Nuggets discusses tonight’s X-factors, how meaningful JaMychal Green is to this Nuggets’ roster, and reveals their current MVP ballots.

Who’s the Nuggets’ X-factor tonight vs. Minnesota?

Adam: JaMychal Green

Rebounding is going to be such a big storyline tonight. The Nuggets need Jmyke to keep the Wolves off of the glass. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he closed the game tonight and/or spent time guarding Karl-Anthony Towns.

Harrison: Bones Hyland

I don’t have a ton of faith that Denver will be able to stop Minnesota and its top-5 offense since the All-Star break. Outscoring Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell is likely the Nuggets’ path to victory. Hyland has established himself as an integral player over the last month. For my money, he’s a top-4 most important player right now (Jokic, Gordon, Morris, Hyland in no particular order), and when he goes off the Nuggets typically win. Denver is 12-4 on the season when Hyland scores 15+ points. That’s what needs to happen tonight.

Brendan: Aaron Gordon.

He’ll have his hands full, presumably guarding Anthony Edwards, who lit the Nuggets up earlier in the season. He’s also the most imposing athlete on the roster, and Denver will need someone to match Minnesota’s ferocity. They’re strong, they’re fast, and they play hard. AG must suit up for a matchup he’s built for. He can swing the result.

How valuable is JaMychal Green to this team?

Adam: Well I just made him my answer to question one so you can imagine how I feel about him. There are some matchups where his value is diminished. The Wolves present quite possibly the most important matchup for him. They need his toughness and they need his rebounding. This game will likely get chippy. You might as well have the guy who loves punching first.

Harrison: I wrote him off earlier this season, and that was a mistake. Green opened the year ice cold from 3, fumbling everything around the basket and out of position way too often on the defensive end. As he typically does, Michael Malone stuck with Green and it’s paid off. He’s been a positive over the last few months. Green still isn’t a reliable shooter — even though it’s felt like he’s shot the ball well as of late, Green’s only shooting 29% from distance since the All-Star break — but the rest of his game has come around. A move back to his natural position of power forward has helped too. But the most important intangible Green brings to the Nuggets is his toughness. If Denver’s second unit is going to stay on the floor in the playoffs, Green and DeMarcus Cousins will have to bully opposing second unit’s inside.

Brendan: More than we knew earlier in the season. The Boogie acquisition and Bones’ emergence changed his campaign. Together with Cousins, the Bama Boys are formidable rebounders and downright bullies. They’re strong, want a fight, and have higher basketball IQs than the bully moniker might suggest. Green, in particular, is an underrated cutter. He’s sneaky good in the dunker spot and feasting off Bones’ dribble-penetration. The bench was dreadful when these two teams last met. The new-look bench can be x-factors of their own with JaMychal Green suiting up.

What’s your current 1-5 MVP ballot?

Adam:

1. Jokic – Carry the team to victory tonight and I think it locks up the award
2. Giannis – Can make this an even closer call if the Bucks lock up the 1-seed
3. Embiid as a very distant (and hopeless) 3rd
4. Doncic – closer to 3rd than people realize
5. Tatum – Slight edge over Booker

Harrison:

1. Jokic
2. Giannis
3. Embiid
4. Doncic
5. Tatum

Brendan: Let’s open it up to 1-15.

1. Jokić
2. Giannis
3. Embiid
4. Appease Suns Fans Placeholder
5. Enes Kanter
6. …