2018 NBA Playoffs: Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves preview

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(Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. How will Minnesota defend the pick-and-roll?

The main takeaway from watching clips from the regular season matchups between the Timberwolves and Rockets was how easy James Harden picked apart their defense with their pick-and-roll game. Harden didn’€™t shoot that well from the field in these four contests, but still managed to average 27.3 points per game along with 10.3 assists.

Jimmy Butler will likely take the challenge of guarding the NBA’s best isolation player, but the Rockets counter this by setting a screen on Butler and forcing the defense to switch or open up a passing lane for Harden to find teammates. Which brings up the question: How do you stop a Harden pick-and-roll?

The best bet would be to have five defenders that can switch everything on the perimeter, but Minnesota doesn’€™t have this luxury on its roster. Butler is great to have at your disposal if he can fight over screens and stick with Harden, but it’s a tall task asking him to put in that much effort defensively AND be the focal point of the offense.

Nobody has been able to solve Harden in pick-and-rolls, and Minnesota’€™s roster may not be equipped to contain him. Their approach to defending it will be the main aspect of having a chance to win in this series.