The Minnesota Timberwolves play host to the Denver Nuggets at Target Center on Monday.

The Nuggets (29-13) have been one of the best teams in the league but recent results are a bit discouraging. Home losses against the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers last week is certainly frustrating and it would have been a disastrous week if they lost to the Golden State Warriors too. They actually overcame a double-digit fourth quarter deficit in that win over Golden State and those three games show that it's not easy for this team right now. It's easy to understand why when peeking into the training room though. Paul Millsap, Jamal Murray and Gary Harris are all injured right now, leaving this roster extremely thin. The good news is that this is one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, with players like Jerami Grant, Monte Morris, Malik Beasley and Mason Plumlee stepping up in their absences.

The Timberwolves (15-27) come into this matchup in the midst of a five-game losing streak. While all of those games came against tough competition, it's unacceptable for a team like this to be playing so poorly. What makes it all the more annoying is the fact that Karl-Anthony Towns returned from injury two games ago. He missed 13 games due to a knee issue and this club had one of the worst records in the NBA in his absence. That horrific run forced the hand of management too, moving Jeff Teague to Atlanta for Allen Crabbe. While it seems unlikely that Crabbe will do much for this team, it does make some believe that more moves are right around the corner and that seems like a strong possibility if the struggles continue.

Denver has won both meetings with Minnesota this season, winning six-straight games over them in total.