There are no easy playoff matchups in the Western Conference this year, and that is especially the case for the Los Angeles Lakers as they get set to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers and Timberwolves split their four regular season matchups and JJ Redick knows his team is in for a tough test considering Minnesota has come on strong in the second half of the year after a slow start.
If the Lakers have serious championship aspirations though then this is just the first step in achieving that goal. Game 1 is set for Saturday evening at Crypto.com Arena, but before the games get started, our staff made predictions and discussed X-factors and keys to the series in the latest Lakers Nation Roundtable:
Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane):
I think the Timberwolves are better than people give them credit for and it’s going to be a tough series. One important factor will be whether or not the Lakers can play Rudy Gobert off the floor with their small-ball lineup.
The Wolves are good everywhere, but L.A. will have an advantages matchup for at least one of LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves at all times. I’ve got Lakers in 6.
Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand):
I’m going to take the Lakers in six games in this series.
The Timberwolves are a great team, but I just don’t think this is a good matchup for them. They want to play big but likely won’t be able to do that as Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves would switch hunt Rudy Gobert all series long.
Because of that, I’m taking Reaves as my X-factor. We all know Doncic and LeBron James are two of the best postseason performers of all-time, and if Reaves can match that, it will be hard to stop the Lakers’ trio.
The key to the series for me is the defensive glass for the Lakers. It will take a group effort to do so, but if they can limit Minnesota to one shot per possession, I like L.A.’s chances.
Corey Hansford (@TheeCoreyH)
This is a tough matchup, especially since the Timberwolves have been one of the best teams in the NBA over the last few weeks. Two key things for the Lakers in this series: First, they can’t get destroyed at the 3-point line. Minnesota ranked fourth in the league in 3-point percentage and fifth in 3-pointers made with Anthony Edwards leading all players in the latter. The Lakers can be inconsistent from deep, trading off scorching hot games with ice cold ones (looking at you Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney-Smith).
The second key, in my opinion, is winning the turnover battle. The Timberwolves are prone to coughing it up and the Lakers’ scrambling defense should be able to force some live ball turnovers, allowing for the Lakers to get out in transition.
We know what to expect from Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, but the big X-Factor in this series is Rui Hachimura.
It’s no secret that the Lakers want to go small and he is absolutely crucial to that. His ability to knock down shots from the perimeter makes the Lakers’ offense basically unguardable and can force Minnesota to take Rudy Gobert off the floor. Defensively he is sure to match up plenty with Julius Randle who has been key to Minnesota’s recent hot streak, but has had some rough showings in past postseasons.
Edwards won’t allow the Timberwolves to get swept and the Lakers are sure to have a couple bad shooting nights as well. But I trust JJ Redick to craft the right game plan and the Lakers will be helped by extra rest in between games. Also Luka Doncic is a Laker.
Lakers in six.
Matthew Peralta (@_MatthewPeralta):
Timberwolves, dire wolves, werewolves, Lakers in five.
Shoutout Shannon Sharpe, but in this case I think it’s warranted. Having seen how the Lakers look with a fully-healthy Luka Doncic has given me confidence this team should win this series in short order. My X-factor is Rui Hachimura because he should be the one getting most of the open looks with the starters.
My keys to the series are to force Anthony Edwards into being more of a playmaker and let Luka be Luka. This Lakers team is well-equipped for the playoffs and I think their star power carries them to the next round.
Matthew Valento (@matthewvalento):
Lakers in six.
Although this is arguably the most favorable matchup behind the Memphis Grizzlies, this is not going to be an easy series for the Lakers. If L.A. hopes to make it past Minnesota, they need Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent to make their open 3-pointers. Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves are going to see multiple bodies at all times to try and disrupt them offensively. That will leave role players open for shots and they simply need to make them to open up the floor for everyone.
Also, the Lakers need to make Anthony Edwards play hero ball because you know he is going to be amped for this series. If the Lakers can force Edwards to take and make contested pull up jumpers, that is something JJ Redick will presumably live with. The Timberwolves are a great defensive team, so spacing is going to be crucial along with not allowing any other players like Julius Randle or Naz Reid to develop a rhythm throughout the course of the series.
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