The T-wolves built a contender around a big idea by Tim Connelly. The Nuggets are familiar with him

Tim Connelly made his first major move for the Minnesota Timberwolves after about six weeks on the job, a bold get of center Rudy Gobert that was as risky as it was unconventional. Going big has been no small part of this breakthrough season — and dominant start to the playoffs — for the Timberwolves. “I think when Tim Connelly made that trade, everybody was laughing at him like, 'What is he doing?' But he made a great team,” Nuggets center Nikola Jokic said. Jokic and the defending NBA champions knew that well before losing the first two games of this Western Conference semifinal series in humbling fashion to a team, like theirs, that was assembled largely at Connelly's direction.