The best and worst part about the NBA is that there’s always another game right around the corner. Sometimes that fact is an opportunity. Other times it is a threat.
After losing to the Denver Nuggets for the first time since November of 2023, the Minnesota Timberwolves look to bounce back against a shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers team, who will be without both LeBron James and Luka Dončić, who torched the Wolves for 49 points just last Friday.
The Timberwolves will also be without their superstar,
Anthony Edwards, who is set to miss the next couple of weeks with a right hamstring strain.
The key to winning this game for the Wolves will be increasing their defensive pressure. Through four games this season, the Timberwolves’ defense ranks 27th in defensive rating, ahead of only the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, and Brooklyn Nets.
That level of defense is not nearly good enough for a team with championship expectations. With Nickeil Alexander-Walker no longer on the team and Edwards out, a small dip in defensive effectiveness can be explained away, but being one of the worst defensive teams in the league is far from sustainable for a team trying to finish near the top of the Western Conference.
The matchup with the Lakers presents an opportunity to get right on that end of the floor. Without James and Dončić, LA’s offensive options are severely limited. Austin Reaves has been outstanding the past two games, scoring a total of 96 points. If the Wolves can slow down Reaves, it should lead to an improved defensive performance.
The goal for these next couple of weeks without Edwards should be to at least tread water and find out what this team does best aside from their best player. The Wolves should still be able to win more games than they lose and attempt to go on a run once their star player returns. The soft early portion of the schedule should allow for just that, but losing to a Lakers team in an even worse injury situation would make that much more difficult.
It is another late-night tip-off in Minneapolis, as the game begins at 8:30 PM CT at the Target Center.
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