The Lakers look to bounce back from their season-opening loss as they take on Minnesota on Friday. The Wolves are coming off a strong victory on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
When: 7 p.m. PT, Oct 24
Where: Crypto.com Arena
Watch: Prime Video
The Lakers’ performance in their home opener was more disappointing than encouraging. Fortunately, it was only the first game of the season and, as irritating as it is to hear this, there are still a lot of games left. Hopefully, Los Angeles treats their first loss as a wake-up call and starts showing more urgency in developing much-needed chemistry and rhythm. Winning basketball games at this time of the year is just as crucial as it is down the road when the team is fighting for a playoff spot or seeding.
Speaking of the playoffs, the purple and gold will be reminded of that on Friday when they host the team that kicked them out of it in the first round last season. Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle and co. are back in town to send a message that hopefully L.A. will have a response for.
Here’s what to look out for in this upcoming game:
Who will JJ Redick start this time?
After revealing that he was going to start the lineup of Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura and DeAndre Ayton, Redick said that this was subject to change and it won’t be a surprise if we see a bigger lineup for this one. At least that should be the case because if there’s one lesson that the Lakers learned last playoffs, it’s that they couldn’t handle the Wolves’ size and athleticism. It’s going to be interesting to see who gets subbed out for whom.
There’s a good chance that it could be Vincent who, despite believing that opponents targeting him is an advantage for the Lakers, was dominated by Jimmy Butler. Could Redick go with Jake LaRavia instead, who not only provides more size but defense and scoring at the wing position? Or will Jared Vanderbilt — who knows a thing or two about the Wolves’ players — take the spot?
Regardless of who it is, a change in the starting lineup must happen if L.A. wants to match up with Minnesota.
Will the Lakers address their third quarter issues?
The Lakers lost control of the game against the Warriors in the third quarter when they were outscored 35-25. It was the stretch when they gave up an 18-2 run when things truly got away from them, which was in line with their putrid third quarter performances dating back to last season. It seems this has carried over to their first game of the season, as the Lakers have been outscored 236-161 in third quarters since the preseason started.
The good news is that Redick and the team know that their third quarter performance needs to be fixed and it is a great sign that he’s acknowledging it in the first game of the season.
The question is, will there be improvements? Hopefully, it happens as early as game two because this Wolves team, especially when Edwards is on a heater, is just as dangerous as the Warriors. The Lakers’ defense needs to show up in all quarters.
Will Luka Doncic get some help?
It is fair to be concerned about the fact that the Lakers lost in a game where Dončić put up 43 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists on 63% shooting from the field. No other player besides Austin Reaves scored more than 10 points.
That said, LeBron James was obviously missed as Redick pointed out that it would’ve been nice to have him on the high post when the Warriors leaned on their zone coverage. Knowing that James didn’t play and the fact the Lakers were still able to turn the game into a slightly competitive affair is a fair argument to not be all doom and gloom. The challenge, however, is knowing that he won’t suit up anytime soon.
So for now, the rest of the team really needs to step up. More needs to come from Reaves, who may have put up 26 points along with nine assists and five rebounds, but didn’t have much of an impact on the offensive end against Golden State until late.
The same goes with Hachimura, Ayton and Vincent, who combined for just 22 points. If the Lakers want to win games, they need to help their superstar by knocking down shots, getting out in transition and controlling the pace of the game.
In short, they need to make their presence more impactful.
The Lakers are already playing catch-up because they didn’t get the chance to get familiar with each other during preseason. That’s a challenge in itself on top of playing teams like the Warriors and Wolves. Let’s see if the Lakers battle through it on Friday against the Wolves as they aim to get their first win of the season.
Notes and Updates
In the Wolves’ season opener, Edwards put up 41 points and got some help from Randle, Jaden McDaniels and Gobert, who all combined for 47 points. Expect them to do the same against the Lakers, who must keep up with their firepower.
For the injury report, the Lakers list LeBron James (sciatica) Adou Thiero (left knee surgery recovery) and Maxi Kleber (abdominal muscle strain) as out.
Meanwhile, the Wolves have nobody on their injury report.
You can follow Nicole on Twitter at@nicoleganglan i.