Related: How the Wolves sparked a season-saving Game 2 comeback over the Nuggets in Denver<\/a><\/em><\/h3>\nIronically, in my preview of this first-round series a couple of weeks ago, I leaned into the necessity of Finch being boldly experimental in his lineups and player rotations. Now, with Ant and Ragu suddenly gone and the Wolves clinging to a 3-2 series advantage, a dominant x factor will likely be the coach\u2019s ability to engineer the right matchup advantages on the fly for his secondary personnel in the dynamic flow of the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nHere are some of the things that will factor into, if not outright compel, how the rotation gets juggled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Can Gobert and McDaniels continue to effectively reduce the offensive impact of Jokic and Murray, respectively, without getting into foul trouble or requiring more assistance? Can the Wolves push the pace without committing a slew of turnovers, exercising poor shot selection, or failing to rapidly get back on defense?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Will the flow of Game Six require more veteran poise, or fresher legs and greater physicality? What is the patience and loyalty level for the too-often boom-or-bust skill sets of Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark and, to a lesser extent, for the injury-riddled Naz Reid, the easily unguarded Kyle Anderson, the game but aging Mike Conley and the volatile Bones Hyland? And, last but not least, was Ayo Dosunmu\u2019s 43-point performance in Game Four a unicorn or a tantalizing tease of his vast upside on offense?\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Nuggets, of course, will also have a prominent say in what transpires. Have Jokic and Murray simply been underachieving and have a level beyond what Gobert and McDaniels can effectively limit? Will Aaron Gordon return and, if so, how effectively? Will Denver\u2019s primary Game Five adjustment \u2014 playing point guard Tyus Jones so that Murray doesn\u2019t constantly have to make plays under pressure \u2014 be expanded or curtailed? And do the Wolves have enough capable bodies to wear down Jokic, as happened in three of the first four games of the series?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nThat\u2019s a lot of questions, but the way the series has transpired \u2014 with the Wolves snatching Games Two, Three, and Four, then getting bullied into improvisation by two major injuries \u2014 has besmirched a great deal of the status quo and the conventional wisdom that goes with it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Too many variables<\/h3>\n Here\u2019s my admitted guesswork. After a bevy of failed screen tests, Terrence Shannon Jr. is finally ready to take off, provided that Finch and TJ\u2019s teammates groove his flight path and can cover for his lapses and heedless aggression on defense. Jaylen Clark deserves, and will get, at least briefly, moments to spell McDaniels and Ayo guarding Murray. Gobert will not be quite as effective, but still impressively staunch, defending Jokic. Conley and \u201cSlo Mo\u201d (Anderson) will have loud successes but will be quietly exploited due to lack of size (Conley) or shooting ability (Slo Mo) nearly as often. Ayo and McDaniels will deliver their virtues in a resilient but not exalted manner.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wild cards: Randle, Naz, and Bones.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Game Six is a toss-up, for all the variables just detailed. That\u2019s a safe but honest position to hold, but I will get zigzag away from consensus and say that if the Nuggets do beat the Wolves at Target Center on Thursday, Game Seven in Denver is also a tossup. This is a highly competitive rivalry because the teams have played often and evenly. Among the Wolves victories was a Game Seven triumph in Denver two years ago. No Ant and no Ragu creates formidable obstacles, but it doesn\u2019t translate into \u201cno chance,\u201d especially with two more swings at the pinata.<\/p>\n