Who knew the Lakers would shut off that badly against the Timberwolves? They’re 1-0 down after getting destroyed 117-95 despite having a home advantage. The fans were beckoning a West Finals against the Thunder. But they might have to get past Anthony Edwards and Minnesota first. And just to double down on his brilliance, Stephen A. Smith wanted to touch on a bit of history first.
His usual heated debates were ongoing. And is there any surprise that Shannon Sharpe was on the receiving end of it? Shannon not being in a Lakers debate is more unlikely than Nico Harrison not getting hate for the Luka Doncic trade. Well, despite having him and LeBron James on the team, Smith talked about a potential déjà vu on proceedings in the series against the Wolves.
“I’m issuing a warning, my brother, because Ant-Man is different. As I’ve been telling y’all, he’s a bit different. I’m issuing a warning to Shannon Sharpe over the National Television airwaves. You saw what he did to KD last year, right? Remember what he did to KD and remember how he chirped while doing so? The ‘Ant-Man’ Anthony Edwards is the type of dude that sees Tinseltown and sees the purple and gold and sees the stars and the stands and everything like that,” said Smith on First Take.
Just to remind you guys, in the 2023-24 season, the Wolves faced off against Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns in the first round. And guess what—Anthony dominated. They won the series in 4 games, with Edwards recording the highest points in 3 of 4 games (33, 36, 40). Any guesses as to what happened in Game 1 of the Lakers series this season? Edwards dominated with a 22/9/8 showing. So, despite Stephen A. Smith’s controversial takes, he’s bang on about this. And the Lakers should be wary of Edwards showing up like he did in the last first-round series he played.
Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
But the regular season standings don’t lie. The Lakers have the home advantage for a reason. And for all of Ant’s antics, he can’t get them over the line alone. After all, they do face Luka Doncic and LeBron James on the other side. But James’ injury concerns speak for themselves—and there’s a chance they could hinder proceedings throughout the series.
LeBron James still not 100% heading into Lakers’ playoff push
It’s hard to ignore the sheer longevity and greatness of LeBron James—22 years in, and he’s still expected to carry the weight of a franchise like he’s 28, not 40. But that age has become a bit of a problem recently, highlighted by the fact that he missed a stretch of games for the Lakers at the backend of the regular season due to injury. And it seems like those injuries might play a part again during the first-round series.
Sure, James is upgraded to available for Game 2, but it is painfully obvious that the 4x champ didn’t look like himself in the first. He missed his first four shots, finished with just 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists—well below his post-Dončić trade averages of 25.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG, and 6.8 APG. It felt like he took a step back to allow Luka Dončić the playoff spotlight in his Lakers postseason debut. While Dončić poured in 37 points, he tallied just one assist and was often exposed on defense.
The real concern? James looked physically off. “LeBron James did not look great in this game,” Tim Bontemps noted, stating the obvious on Brian Windhorst & the Hoop Collective. “Well, he’s dealing with this hip flexor thing … He’s on the injury report every game, pretty much… And then you watch him come out and look pretty lethargic, and you got to wonder where he’s going to be at going forward.”
That sluggishness translated to the entire Lakers squad, who looked flat for the last three quarters. The Timberwolves, meanwhile, exploded from deep, hitting a franchise playoff record 21 threes at a 50% clip. Bench spark Naz Reid knocked down six, while Jaden McDaniels went 3-for-3 from downtown. Even with Anthony Edwards battling cramps, Minnesota controlled the game with their length, pace, and discipline. They picked apart a Lakers defense that was unprepared for the Wolves’ balanced attack and ball movement.
And JJ Redick admitted it post-game. “I’m not sure physically we were ready, if that made sense,” he noted. And it showed. Los Angeles looked like a team still calibrating its identity with Luka in the mix (more or less the truth) while the T-Wolves looked like a squad that had already found theirs.
Heading into Game 2, the Lakers need a clear shift—not just tactically, but in energy and assertiveness. That starts with James. If the ‘King’ wants to avoid déjà vu of last year’s early postseason exit, he’ll have to shake off the rust, take command, and reignite the fire. Because while Luka might be the now, LeBron is still the leader. And in a series this tight, anything less than vintage might not be enough.
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