Well, ladies, gentlemen, those in between (or independent of the above) – it's certainly been one of the seasons so far, hasn't it? A crushing loss to the only elite team the Nuggets have played and a 2-1 record with the other three. They all played against painfully average to below-average teams, and the two wins required overtime to advance them. It's not exactly what you'd consider an ideal start, especially for a team with championship aspirations.

Not only did it take overtime to beat the Nets and Raptors, but it also took 2021-22 levels of Jokic backpacking the team to get those victories. That's why a lot of people in the team have expressed their doubts in recent weeks. I can't really blame them. The team seems disinterested too often, and the bench, aside from a good performance from Russ, has arguably been the worst bench unit in the league so far. It just wasn't pretty, but hey – the appetizers looked good!

There were pros and cons, but the Nuggets have their biggest test starting tomorrow. The Timberwolves also started 2-2. They didn't look particularly good, although they looked better than the Nuggets. Anthony Edwards scored 3 points at a rate we haven't really seen much.

Given that and Julius Randle's somewhat awkward fit, this could be an opportunity to give the Nuggets a run for their money. It's going to be a tough and dirty clutch game, or it's going to be a massive blowout. There's not much I can see in between. This won't be an 11-point game, but more like a 2- or 30-point game.

The essentials

WHO: Denver Nuggets (2-2) at Minnesota Timberwolves (2-2)

When: 7:30 PM MDT

Where: Target Arena, MN

How to watch/listen: You know where. KTVD Channel 20, Altitude TV (one of Fubo or Altitude+), Altitude Radio 92.5, NBA League Pass for those not in the Denver market, get eaten by one of the wolf mascots and then reappear as soon as you are in the arena.

Injury report: Da'Ron Holmes – OUT (Achilles), Aaron Gordon – LIKELY (right knee contusion), Vlatko Cancar – LIKELY (right ankle sprain); Minnesota has no reported injuries

The three things

What you should pay attention to: Christian Braun's defense of Anthony Edwards

One of the reasons the Nuggets felt comfortable moving forward with Christian Braun as the starting shooting guard over Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was his performance in the Minnesota Timberwolves series. He was able to address the physicality of Anthony Edwards much better than KCP. With Anthony Edwards coming into this game with a heater, Christian Braun will have his hands full protecting him. It will be his chance to put an exclamation point on his great start to the season. He will have the chance to prove to the fans and those around the organization that investing in him was the right decision.

Here's what you should remember: This will be the fifth game

There have only been four games so far this season and while alarm bells are ringing for some (somewhat rightly so), there is more of a sample that says it will be fine. Take the mindset of what's happening right now and apply it to a random set of games in January. It would certainly be frustrating, but Jamal Murray has always started the season slowly, MPJ has always been a strikeout player (like most elite shooters), and Russell Westbrook has always been inconsistent. The only person who appears regularly at the start of the season is Nikola Jokic, and he has done that this season. Don't panic, it will work out over time. Will it work out to the point where they become a championship team? Only the basketball gods know that. What I can say for sure, however, is that they will be better than what they have done so far. There will be ups and downs.

The right thing to listen to: Sand Castles by Jimi Hendrix

I want to try something a little more unique to me and the way I process basketball. So let me know if you like this. There is a comment section and I read every comment. For those who don't know, I play music – and I played a lot of music as a child. Basketball makes sense to me in a kind of musical context. I can elaborate on this during the January lull, or perhaps during the All-Star break if there is enough demand. However, the purpose of this small section is to recommend a song to listen to before the game or just to set the mood for the action. I add a little blurb about the song – what it means to me, why I chose it, etc. and then apply it to the preview or summary.

I would like to recommend the first song Castles made of sand by Jimi Hendrix. It's a song from his second album, and that's probably my favorite album of all time. I heard this particular song too many times as a young teenager. At this age, everything happens so quickly, and sometimes it's important to remember that time moves on. Like everything, this too shall pass. Castles are also made of things that erode. The nuggets will eventually be right in this case. You will find your rhythm. In the meantime, remember that castles are made of sand. Also note that at some point these recommendations will become strange or out of step with most people's standards. I'll introduce you to Hendrix, but be prepared for Japanese jazz in March.