This season has been one to remember for the Lakers Nation for several reasons. The Lakers wrapped up the regular season, securing the third seed in a stacked Western Conference. As a result of this, they’ll be locking horns with the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. Of course, there will be a lot of star-studded matchups to look forward to. However, the most anticipated showdown will be between Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic. Some might even term this as a battle between the two potential faces of the league. So, the question is, are the Lakers ready to take on Ant-Man and Co.?
There’s absolutely no doubt that this playoff series is going to be a thriller. However, in any thriller, there is a winner and a loser, and no team would like to be the latter in the first round. As the Lakers gear up for their biggest encounter this season, Jarred Vanderbilt, a former Timberwolves player and now part of the Lakers, has crafted a special plan to stop Anthony Edwards. The Lakers forward spent three years playing alongside Edwards before he was traded to the Jazz.
So, you can say he is pretty well-versed with Ant’s style of play. “He’s a great offensive player, man. He’s super physical, he’s shooting it well this year, as you can see.” Vanderbilt first gave Edwards his flowers, before revealing his plan.
“So just continue to just make it tough for him. He can get going quick, so just not to get anything easy for him,” Vanderbilt added. We all know that Anthony Edwards is a physical player and feeds off his explosive athletic abilities. So, there’s no doubt that he’ll be at the top of JJ Redick’s scouting report. He even admitted that his primary focus will be on slowing down Minnesota’s 23-year-old shooting guard.
Edwards has been the focal point of this Minnesota team so far this season. He’s averaging 27.6 points to go along with his 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. This indicates that stopping him won’t be an easy feat for Los Angeles, but if they do succeed, the odds will hugely favor them.
Feb 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts after being ejected during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images.
In fact, the Lakers have somewhat succeeded in containing Anthony Edwards this season. Against Los Angeles, the 23-year-old has just averaged 19 points, 6.3 rebounds and three assists this campaign. This is a massive drop from his regular-season averages! It shows that Anthony Edwards hasn’t been that effective against LA. But that doesn’t mean the same trend will follow in the playoffs, and we know he has all the tools to go off in the postseason.
Who knows? So, LA will have to be cautious and make a team effort to stop Edwards in his tracks. Meanwhile, amidst these playoff preparations, Los Angeles head coach JJ Redick has made a massive confession about a change in the team’s locker room.
Lakers HC, JJ Redick admits a major change in the team’s locker room
While everyone has been focused on the LA Lakers’ two big superstars, LeBron James and Luka Doncic, a third player has contributed massively to their success. Yes! We are talking about none other than Los Angeles’s shooting guard, Austin Reaves. He has clearly established himself as the team’s go-to man apart from James and Doncic. The fourth-year guard is averaging a solid 20.2 points to go along with his 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
What makes these stats special is that all of these are career highs for the 26-year-old. Moreover, a lot of people think that Reaves could be the X factor of this playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, despite all the big names around him.
Dec 19, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) reacts after making a three-point basket against the Sacramento Kings in the fourth quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
More so, because of not just the incredible jump in his numbers, but because of how he has matured as a player. Head Coach JJ Redick acknowledged the importance of Austin Reaves’ leadership in the Lakers’ locker room. “Austin, well, he’s becoming more of a vocal leader. I think, you know, he has grown into that responsibility.” Redick said, praising the guard in a recent interview.
“And it’s not a first-round pick, not a lottery pick, not a top-five pick that comes in, and you’ve got the expectations of the future branch. He came in here and earned his way to get a contract, I think subconsciously, no matter how good you think you are, you might think maybe it’s not my responsibility.” Redick elaborated on Austin Reaves’ development from an undrafted player to a regular starter for the team.
Over this time, he’s become a vocal leader in the locker room, which is quite big if you consider that the locker room has the likes of LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and a few more big names. “But as he’s grown as a player, I think he’s grown as a leader. And I think watching him on court and then watching him in huddles throughout the year, you can see that.” Redick added.
It’s true, you can indeed see that Reaves has grown a lot through the plays he makes during the games. He is much more confident and knows his role as a player. It will be interesting to see how he approaches this playoff series against Anthony Edwards and Minnesota, as all of us wait and watch.
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