After a close win over the Utah Jazz to begin their road trip, the Los Angeles Lakers should face a much tougher test when they take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second night of a back-to-back on Monday.
This is a rematch of the season opener when the Lakers beat the Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. L.A. is without a key piece in this one, however, as Austin Reaves remains out for the second straight game with a left pelvic contusion.
That is in addition to Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood, who all remains out with their respective injuries.
The good news though is the Lakers are getting D’Angelo Russell back to play against his former team, as well as Cam Reddish, who both missed the Utah game with illnesses. Given Reaves is out, the Lakers can really use Russell’s scoring punch with the starting group against a tough defensive team in Minnesota.
In addition to Russell, the Lakers are relying on Dalton Knecht, Max Christie and Gabe Vincent to make contributions to their backcourt. Vincent is coming off a 10-point performance in Utah, the first time he has reached double digits as a member of the Lakers.
While their offense is needed, it is really the defensive end of the ball where guys like Reddish, Christie and Vincent can make an impact. Anthony Edwards is in the midst of a career year with the Timberwolves, averaging 27.7 points per game while shooting 42.8% from 3-point range on 10.9 attempts per game.
Outside of Edwards though, this has largely been a disappointing start to the season for the Timberwolves. They made the blockbuster trade right before the start of the season sending Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo.
Their fit hasn’t been great so far in Minnesota, but the talent on that roster is still among the best in the league so they should be able to figure it out sooner rather than later.
Given the Lakers may be playing with some tired legs after playing on Sunday and then traveling, this game won’t be an easy one for JJ Redick’s team. They have already shown that they can beat Minnesota though, so hopefully they can use the confidence to get off to a hot start and do it again.
Los Angeles Lakers (12-8) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (9-10)
5 p.m. PT, December 2, 2024
Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV: Spectrum SportsNet, NBA TV
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: D’Angelo Russell
SG: Dalton Knecht
SF: LeBron James
PF: Rui Hachimura
C: Anthony Davis
Key Reserves: Gabe Vincent, Max Christie, Christian Koloko, Cam Reddish
Projected Timberwolves Starting Lineup:
PG: Mike Conley
SG: Anthony Edwards
SF: Jaden McDaniels
PF: Julius Randle
C: Rudy Gobert
Key Reserves: Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker
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