Lakers vs. Timberwolves: High Stakes Playoff Battle

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00:00And what an important game it will be.

00:03This is the biggest game on today's slate.

00:06It is arguably the biggest series of round number one.

00:10And the Los Angeles Lakers enter this series as favorites.

00:14They are rightfully booked as favorites.

00:17But when we were sat at this desk last Saturday, Coach,

00:19we discussed whether the Lakers would want to play either Minnesota or Golden State.

00:25Those were likely the two matchups that ended up being Minnesota

00:27due to the Warriors' loss in Game 82 at home to the L.A. Clippers.

00:32You were very adamant, certainly on that day,

00:36that the Timberwolves would be a tough matchup for the Lakers.

00:39As you were able to dive in more and more with the numbers set,

00:42how do you feel about L.A.-Minnesota?

00:44I think it's just going to be an absolute war.

00:46I look at Minnesota as a team with, you know,

00:50and this is why this series is so fascinating.

00:53Folks, let's be honest.

00:54You have three of the top ten players in the world playing in the series.

00:58You know the series that I think has three of the top ten in it, right?

01:03So, to me, you have superstar power.

01:06You have a team in the Lakers obviously trying to get LeBron that one last ring,

01:11one more time.

01:13Maybe even two, depending on, you know,

01:14obviously if they can go on a run the next two years.

01:17Versus the Minnesota team that we forgot got to the Western Conference Finals last year,

01:21traded Cat for Julius Randle, which we're all befuddled by.

01:26But then a team that started slow, but then got hot towards the end of the year.

01:31I think this is such a fascinating matchup because of the coaching matchup.

01:37I really look at inside as where this series is going to go.

01:41It's going to be a chess match between Finch and Redick.

01:46Here's why.

01:46When you look at Rudy Gobert, a polarizing figure, in the playoffs,

01:54he should be more effective because the game slows down

01:59and the Lakers are not the type of team that's going to want to run the ball up the floor.

02:04But then JJ could turn around and pivot and say,

02:08I want to take Rudy out of the game.

02:11Or, you know, in fact, I want to go smaller, put Rui Hachimura in the game,

02:17then make Finch counter with Nas Reed.

02:20Or does JJ look at it and say, drop coverage, Rudy Gobert, pick and roll,

02:26look at Dodge, it's how you're doing.

02:29Then there's the whole other side of what are we getting out of Ant?

02:33I'm of this firm belief, folks, that Ant's got another gear,

02:39another level that he can get to.

02:43Whereas, you know, with top seven, eight player in the world,

02:46maybe you're saying at the end of this playoffs, he could be top five in the world.

02:50Especially if you look at guys like Embiid getting injured and stuff like that,

02:53dropping down.

02:54There are intriguing betting markets in regards to series spread,

03:00number of games.

03:01I mean, you know, Kevin will talk about it.

03:04You probably missed the mark on some of the Ant props to lead the series

03:07in some of the categories, but there still is one that I'm really intrigued

03:11with Ant in this series.

03:13So one thing that jumped off the page to me,

03:15and I don't think it's going to be to this level,

03:19Anthony Edwards averaged under 20 points per game against the Lakers.

03:24Only team in the league that he played more than twice, that was true.

03:28Only the fourth team overall, regardless of games played.

03:30That he played this year and didn't average at least 20 points per game.

03:35I think if you're the Lakers, sometimes we talk about, is it, ah, let the star get theirs

03:40and nobody else beats us?

03:41Or is it, okay, make everybody else beat us?

03:44And I think it's a clear cut, make everybody else beat you series,

03:47because Rudy Gobert is not known for having offensive moves.

03:51And Julius Randle has a negative postseason pedigree.

03:53And at that point, then you're asking Nas Reed or Mike Conley to potentially step up

04:00and be an offensive engine.

04:01And that is not going to be a legitimate pathway for Minnesota.

04:05I think the pathway for the Timberwolves is actually to be excellent offensively.

04:10It is one of the overarching themes for me heading into the Lakers this postseason.

04:13I actually think the way to beat them is to be top, top, top tier on the offensive side

04:18of the ball.

04:19It's very difficult to stop a Luka and LeBron tandem, flatly.

04:23It just is.

04:24Remember, when the Lakers assembled this new iteration of themselves, the worry was,

04:29can they guard?

04:30Make that the question of the series and see if you can make the answer to that no.

04:35I'm playing over in game number one, that total at 216.

04:38The other thing that I'm going to play, game number one over the course of the series,

04:44most unbiased man history of sports media, Timberwolves game one, Lakers to win the series.

04:50A plus 500 price on DraftKings that I think is absolutely worth it.

04:57I think should be much shorter.

04:59If Minnesota does pull off the upset tonight, the Lakers won't even be close to five to one

05:04to win the series.

05:05That number will be lucky if it was plus 180 for the Lakers to win the series if they did

05:11drop this game tonight.

05:13The Minnesota Timberwolves coach, though, must win game one.

05:17You cannot beat LeBron if he wins the opening game.

05:21And Luka has a bad track record in game number one.

05:23Luka's only won game one of a series twice.

05:26And not one of them last year was against Minnesota in the conference finals.

05:30I think there's a chance Minnesota jumps them tonight.

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