Opening night gives every NBA fan something to be excited about. The long preseason is over, trade talk settles down, and they can forget about past failures of the previous regular season and playoffs.
That’s true of every fan, not just those of the Minnesota Timberwolves. And despite any outside perspective, those tuning in to watch the Los Angeles Lakers will feel the same way.
The Lakers made few changes this season. The team that exited the 2024 NBA season in the first round of the playoffs will rely on aging superstars, though this time with a rookie coach.
What have the Lakers changed this season?
LA’s most significant change this season is the head coach. They have replaced Darvin Ham with JJ Redick. Ham coached the Lakers for two seasons, going 43-39 and 47-35, respectively. In 2023, the Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals, but the Denver Nuggets swept them. Last year, they never looked close to reaching that stage again.
With LeBron James, 39, and Anthony Davis, 31, a year older, the Lakers hierarchy felt they had little choice but to act. Ham’s replacement is particularly interesting, given Reddick’s lack of coaching experience. The Lakers may have hired Reddick because he’s friendly with LeBron. They are gambling that he’s an NBA-caliber coach, given his lack of experience coaching in the league – not even as an assistant.
Still, little has changed in terms of the starting five. When available, James and Davis will be LA’s star players, supported at least to start the season by old friend D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura. Dalton Knecht is the only new addition likely to feature in the regular rotation, the sharpshooting wing drafted on June 17.
How do the Wolves match up with the Lakers?
Pretty well. The Wolves were 3-1 against the Lakers in the 2023-24 season. However, they changed their rotation, with Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo replacing Karl-Anthony Towns. The Lakers may defend Randle with Davis or use LeBron to defend him with Davis lurking off Gobert.
However, they don’t have the defensive firepower to defend Anthony Edwards. Given his love of the limelight, expect a big game from him. Russell will also have to chase after Mike Conley, DiVincenzo, or the much taller Jaden McDaniels on the defensive end, and that’s something to expect the Wolves to exploit.
One of Reddick’s focus points this summer has been on more three-point shooting. He has already said he wants James and Davis to shoot more of them. While Knecht offers more three-point shooting, the rest of LA’s roster lacks it. The Lakers were eighth in three-point efficiency last season but 28th in three-pointers attempted.
The Wolves are unlikely to drop off much as a defensive team and will likely continue defending the perimeter at a high level. The Lakers are also one of the bigger rosters in the West, and Minnesota’s size means they match up well against them. However, the Timberwolves will likely deploy Gobert against Davis unless Luka Garza plays genuine minutes as the backup center.
It seems unlikely that Bronny James will play on opening night, except for garbage time. Even with the news headlines he generates, Bronny might play a short stint at the end of a quarter. However, regular rotation minutes make little sense right now – he was the 55th pick. Few picks in that range ever play in the early stages of the NBA season.
However, if he plays, it will garner significant media interest. But from Minnesota’s perspective, he’s a player they can attack on one end while ignoring on the other. Giving Bronny real minutes is unwise from a strategic perspective. Still, depriving LeBron of an opportunity to play with his son on opening night in front of millions might be too hard to turn down.
Are the Lakers a Western Conference threat?
It seems unlikely. The Lakers will have to rely heavily on LeBron and AD’s fitness throughout the season, which is constantly questionable given the former’s age and the latter’s injury history. Davis played the most games of his career last season (76 in the regular season), while LeBron played the most since 2017-18 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Even with James and Davis healthy, the Lakers could only finish eighth, winning the first play-in game against the New Orleans Pelicans. LA’s depth is not good. Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt are already injured, meaning players like Knecht, Max Christie, and Jaxson Hayes would feature heavily in the rotation if the two superstars are out. In the Western Conference, it’s simply not enough.
For the Lakers to succeed this year, James and Davis will likely need to be at the same fitness level as last season. Reddick’s three-point focus must also be successful, and the team must be at the top end of the play-in, possibly slightly higher if other factors were to go their way.