The Los Angeles Lakers saw their season come to an end in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Led by Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, the Timberwolves used their size, athleticism and physicality to overwhelm the Lakers and send Luka Doncic and LeBron James home far earlier than they hoped.
Last season, the Timberwolves made a run to the Western Conference Finals and now they seem poised to potentially make another deep playoff run as they have rounded into shape at the perfect time. And LeBron feels they could go all the way to the NBA Finals this season.
In the latest episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast with Steve Nash, James said that the Timberwolves have everything they need to make a run to the Finals in 2025:
“I personally think, I mean I’m looking at the competition and the rest of the field, which is a lot of great teams left. I can see them for sure getting to the Western Conference Finals, if not the Finals. Obviously health is wealth. Health is wealth in the postseason. But I think that they have all the make-up. They have shooting, they have toughness, they have size, they have foot speed, they have playmaking, they have experience, they have defensive versatility, which you need in the postseason. They play extremely hard, and like you said, you gotta give credit to the coaching staff too, they are putting those guys in the right position to be successful. I think they have an opportunity, at least Western Conference Finals, if not then the Finals. They have the make-up for that, I think so.”
As the Lakers superstar noted, health is the most important thing and it is already playing out as Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is dealing with a hamstring injury, which greatly increases the Timberwolves’ chances of advancing. And over in the East, the top-seed Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves down in their series as they deal with injuries to multiple key players.
James and the Lakers saw up close and personal exactly what the Timberwolves are capable of and he is right in that they have all the pieces. But the playoffs are all about health and matchups, so time will tell if they make good on that potential he sees in them.
Lakers’ LeBron James praises growth of Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards
One of the main reasons the Timberwolves were able to beat the Lakers was the play of Anthony Edwards. The Lakers made life tough on him as a scorer, but he beat them in other ways, particularly his playmaking, and that is what really impressed LeBron James.
James praised Edwards’ growth as a playmaker, noting that the Lakers did everything to try and confuse the Timberwolves star, but he adjusted and figured things out and really trusted his teammates to come through.
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