The Wolves finish off their pre-season against the Denver Nuggets. With a scheduling quirk turning this game into a back-to-back, it’s unlikely that we’ll see the Wolves starters play any meaningful minutes.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets
Date: October 17th, 2024
Time: 7:00PM CDT
Location: Target Center
Television Coverage: Bally Sports North
Radio Coverage: Wolves App/iHeart Radio
They say revenge is a dish best served cold, but for the Denver Nuggets tonight, any vengeance they might be dreaming of against the Minnesota Timberwolves is going to be about as flat as day-old soda. Sure, this game could’ve been circled as some kind of preseason grudge match after the Wolves took down the Nuggets in last season’s Western Conference Semifinals, but let’s be honest—if Denver was looking for payback, it won’t be happening tonight.
Why? Because the Wolves will be rolling out the end of their bench in this final preseason tune-up, and it’s not even their fault. Blame it on the Minnesota Lynx and their run to the WNBA Finals. (No one’s mad about that, by the way—bring on more Minnesota championships!) The scheduling shuffle led to this bizarre back-to-back for the Wolves, and we all know what that means in the NBA, especially during the preseason: starters sitting. And let’s face it, in a game that doesn’t count, Chris Finch is not going to have Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and the rest of the starting five running on fumes just five days before the season opener.
So for anyone tuning in hoping to see the full-blown rivalry clash between the Wolves and the Nuggets, sorry to disappoint. This is not going to be the battle of Western Conference heavyweights. This game, for all practical purposes, is the extended credits of Minnesota’s preseason. We saw what the real squad looked like last night in their nail-biting loss to the Chicago Bulls. That was the finale, folks.
Tonight? It’s a completely different script. Finch will use this game to evaluate the fringes of the roster. We’ll get to see some deep cuts, like Luka Garza, Josh Minott, and maybe even a bigger role for rookies Rob Dillingham and Terence Shannon Jr. It’s a good opportunity for these guys to prove they belong, to show what they’ve got in real NBA action—even if it’s against Denver’s own B-squad.
And honestly, that’s still worth watching. Every team needs those glue guys—the ones who step up when called upon, who know their role and play it to perfection when the starters need a breather. Plus, there’s always a chance for one of these young guys to have a breakout moment. Who doesn’t love seeing a rookie get hot in garbage time and make the case for more minutes when the games actually count?
So sure, the stakes are low. But this is still basketball, it’s still the Wolves, and let’s be real—getting a sneak peek at the deeper parts of this roster isn’t the worst way to spend a Thursday night. Plus, the regular season is right around the corner, and you know Ant and the Wolves are ready to start chasing that title.
Let the bench battle commence.