2025 NBA PLAYOFFS West First Round: #3 LA Lakers vs #6 Minnesota Timberwolves (MIN leads 1-0)

[blueberrysticky]

The Luka trade is kind of tragic in the sense that Dallas was built perfectly around him. I thought they mortgaged way too much of their future to do it and obviously losing Brunson was a fumble, but they made the finals last season so you can't complain too much (until he traded Luka).

Luka misses the Lively/Gafford lob threat. The lob threat pulling defenses in, and shooters pulling defenses out, is the perfect scenario for Luka to orchestrate the offense.

This exactly. The team was built around Luka. This lakers team obviously pulled the trigger to get the better player but this looks like what it is……midseason trade and not constructed yet

[Revived]

Where are the bench points going to come from for the Lakers?

Lakers have like 60 or 70% of their cap space committed to 3 players.

[HotRocks34]

If I'm Redick I'm looking at this rotation heavily:

Luka
Gabe
Jordan
LeBron
Doe
Vando
(Some Rui)
.
.
Less:

Reaves
Hayes

Goodwin's energy could help IMO. Having LD/AR/LJ together on the court after the first rotation may not be the way to go here.

[Diop]

Luka with 1 assist and 5 TO, lack of P&R partner will make him a pure scorer, not good...

So THATS why he wanted to trade for Mark Williams.

Oh well......

[PierceFan4ever]

Tired every season when casuals hype the **** out of LeBron, kd, and Steph come playoff time. Yes, they’re all time great players but they’re old now. The suns were so ass this season they had no shot at the playoffs but had they been a 7-8 seed you would have people saying omg Kevin Durant is coming, you can’t bet against kd and all his experience, they are a threat to come out of the west or they will challenge okc.

Steph and LeBron are here now and you have casuals thinking the lakers have a higher chance winning the championship than a 64 win Cavs team. Same with the Warriors.

Lebron was bounced in 5 games to Jokic last season in round 1. 3 out of the last 4 seasons he hasn’t gone past the first round. Steph didn’t even make the playoffs last season. Kd had been swept by Tatum and Edwards 2 out of the last 3 seasons in the first round.

Obviously the lakers season isn’t over. But this is a young man’s sport, always has been. The best players of the world are Jokic, sga, Giannis, Tatum, Luka, ant not LeBron, Steph, and kd these days.

[KGDirkTD_Fan]

The Luka trade is kind of tragic in the sense that Dallas was built perfectly around him. I thought they mortgaged way too much of their future to do it and obviously losing Brunson was a fumble, but they made the finals last season so you can't complain too much (until he traded Luka).

Luka misses the Lively/Gafford lob threat. The lob threat pulling defenses in, and shooters pulling defenses out, is the perfect scenario for Luka to orchestrate the offense.

He was traded from the team built specifically around him to a team built around LeBron + AD. He's still very dangerous but those Lively/Gafford PnRs and lobs were a ton of easy points. Lakers need a big off-season to address their deficiencies and figure out where JJ wants to take the team. It's basically taking a 4 cylinder engine and shoving it into a dump truck and wondering why you can't drive past 25 mph.

[thinktank]

I might go read through the first 50 pages of this thread, and laugh at all the Laker posters’ disrespect for the Wolves.

[Wingy]

Lakers are gonna have to stop being lazy and contest those three's. I'd wager Minnesota isn't going to shoot that well from three all series but your not going to win this series just hoping they keep missing. I expect Lebron and Reaves to have much better games going forward and Luka will be Luka.

I'm still saying Lakers in 6 but Game 2 will be very telling for this series.

They were definitely hot, no doubt about it. But aligning with what you’re saying…these are NBA players. You give up a lot of open ones, they are going to hit a lot of them.

Always cracked me up how for seasons Bulls fans would lament how everyone would just shoot red hot against us as if the stars were against us.

Uh, guys…you ever wonder if it might actually be our team sucking at defense?

[HotRocks34]

The Luka trade is kind of tragic in the sense that Dallas was built perfectly around him. I thought they mortgaged way too much of their future to do it and obviously losing Brunson was a fumble, but they made the finals last season so you can't complain too much (until he traded Luka).

Luka misses the Lively/Gafford lob threat. The lob threat pulling defenses in, and shooters pulling defenses out, is the perfect scenario for Luka to orchestrate the offense.

This exactly. The team was built around Luka. This lakers team obviously pulled the trigger to get the better player but this looks like what it is……midseason trade and not constructed yet

It's like Year 1 of Kyrie to Dallas.

[Tracymcgoaty]

Yeah last thing I’m doing is overreacting to this game. Minnesota isn’t shooting 51% from 3 next game

We keep overhelping and giving them wide open threes bet your ass they'll swish a lot of them

Donte and Nickell went 1-11 from 3 too. Lakers made a decision to give up some 3's to guys who don't usually splash like that. But Reid, McDaniels and Randle did hit some that were contested as well, especially as the shot clock was winding down. The Lakers need more bench production period, even if it's just rebounds and steals. The game turned in the 2nd quarter (38-20 Minnesota).

True true. We'll see game 2. Thats do or die basically. Cant see us coming back from 2-0.

[Shaka_Zulu]

Where are the bench points going to come from for the Lakers?

If they had a sensibly built with some depth (defensive starters), they would have Reaves and Rui off bench to give them what Naz/Donte and NAW gives us.

Who would start over Reaves and Rui?

I dont meam whoever they have now lol, just if they were built smart.


I would definitely start DFS over Rui cuz who need a defender even if he is semi washed.


You need Rui off bench cuz someone needs to score off bench when Luka or LeBron sits.



Who to bench for Reaves? There is no one. Gabe maybe but he is net negative with his size and skill level despite decent corner 3s.

[Tracymcgoaty]

But gotta give cred to Wolves. GG man that was a dominating game.

[80HD]

Luka - 37 points, 1 assist. That's the way to beat a Luka team, eventually his legs will get tired and shooting will drop off.

Yes. Nico knew this all along.

Nico is a genius.

[Loaf_of_bread]

Suck it lakers fans. No way you win this series. 0.00% all the media sucked your d's.. lol.

[SlimShady83]

I didn't see game on holidays, just checking box scores.

Oh know we suck again

Who we trading this game fam?

[MNRunLeft]

The swing on Reaves in this thread alone will make your head spin…. At one point there is a claim that he’s part of a top 10 all time big 3 and now clamoring for him to be benched.

[Shaka_Zulu]

Who will be the scapegoat, Luka or Reaves?

Rob Pelinka, for building a roster with near zero defensive starters. No real bigs rotation.


And no scoring off bench?



That's few too many holes.

[ArksNetsSince99]

I think we have em figured out boys

Sure you do , next game Bronny in for AR as a starter , prob your wet dream bro

I don’t like Bronny

I asked you 6 months ago who you gonna root for when LeBron retires , your answer was one word

BRONNY

[Diop]

I don't think the NBA would allow Bron to take a team friendly deal. It would be unfair

Like Malone and Payton did back in the day?

Of course he can

Malone and Payton are not LeBron James. Check and see if Kobe ever took team friendly deals.

He said the NBA wouldn't allow it, I'm saying they couldn't stop it, a rich man's ego on the other hand.

[MikRay]

This should be a cake walk for the Lakers

Hey.

4-2 LA
LA underestimating the little puppies the next game will be a blowout and LA Will put these little puppies in their place. Minnesota isn’t shooting over 50% from three-point and again lmao