The first night of the 2024-25 season is officially in the books now, and the Lakers are off to a perfect 1-0 start. The matchup, which involved star power on both ends, was considered favorable for the Timberwolves but things didn’t end how they expected after a 110-103 Lakers win.
Led by LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and head coach JJ Redick, the Lakers dominated the paint to build a 14-point lead in the second quarter. They carried that momentum until the final buzzer, giving the Lakers fans some much-needed hope to start the season.
Fresh off a run to the Western Conference Finals, the Timberwolves were supposed to use this game to make a statement after their recent roster changes. But with poor shooting and major slippage defensively, this was not their finest game and a far cry from the type of game we saw from them last season. Anthony Edwards was the lone bright spot with 27 points but the next high scorer was Julius Randle, who had 16 points and 9 rebounds on 50% shooting.
Since it’s still so early in the year, it’d be unwise to draw any major conclusions about either team, but there were some interesting trends in this game that might hint at what kind of season this will be for the Lakers.
Lakers’ Stats Leaders:
Anthony Davis: 36 PTS, 16 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 3 BLK (11-23 FG, 1-3 3PT, 13-15 FT)
LeBron James: 16 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 2 BLK (7-16 FG, 1-4 3PT, 1-1 FT)
Rui Hachimura: 18 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK (7-14 FG, 1-4 3PT, 3-4 FT)
Austin Reaves: 12 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK (6-14 FG, 0-5 3PT, 0-1 FT)
Jaxson Hayes: 10 PTS, 4 REB, 1 BLK (4-5 FG, 2-2 FT)
Timberwolves Stats’ Leaders:
Anthony Edwards: 27 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 4 TO (10-25 FG, 5-13 3PT, 2-3 FT)
Julius Randle: 16 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST (5-10 FG, 1-3 3PT, 5-7 FT)
Rudy Gobert: 13 PTS, 14 REB, 2 AST, 1 BLK (5-8 FG, 3-4 FT)
Naz Reid: 12 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST (3-8 FG, 2-4 3PT, 4-4 FT)
Donte DiVincenzo: 10 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL (3-11 FG, 2-8 3PT, 2-4 FT)
Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 14 PTS, 5 REB (5-7 FG, 3-4 3PT, 1-2 FT)
Anthony Davis Is In Peak Form
For years, Lakers fans have been waiting for Anthony Davis to rise up and take his place as the leader of the team. Finally, at least for tonight, it appears he’s finally ready to take on that role.
With 36 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks, Davis was unstoppable tonight for the Lakers and he looked more comfortable on the court than we’ve seen him in years. At 31 years old, the superstar big man was scheduled for a prime NBA season and this may just be a taste of what’s to come.
At his best, Davis is one of the best players in the world and the Los Angeles Lakers are tough to beat. Defensively, Davis makes it almost impossible to score in the paint and we saw it in full effect against the Timberwolves, who struggled to get it going all night.
With such a complicated injury history, nobody knows if Davis can stay healthy for the duration of the season but he’s the key to their success in the West and his interior game makes them a formidable opponent against any team in the league.
The JJ Redick Impact Is Real
One of the most glaring about this game was simply how different the Lakers looked compared to last year, despite having mostly the same roster. Under Darvin Ham, they were disorganized and unprepared to face off against the best of the best.
Tonight, they looked like a well-oiled machine out there with plays and sets that they ran throughout the whole game. The Lakers, who shot just 16.7% (5-30) from three, won the game with their hustle and their teamwork. They combined for 22 assists which helped spread out the scoring across all five starters.
More than anything, JJ has the Lakers playing with a sense of urgency and effort that just didn’t exist with Darvin. They believe in Redick and they believe that his plan can lead to success at the highest level.
So while it may be the same Lakers roster, it’s certainly a different team. The culture, identity, and entire protocol are different from before, and, so far, the fans are liking the results.
The Lakers Have Their Defensive Edge Back
The modern NBA age is all about three-point shooting, and just hours before tipoff in Los Angeles, we saw the Celtics blow out the new-look Knicks with a barrage of perimeter jumpers.
Of course, the Lakers don’t really have reliable shooters and they can’t really hope to keep up with the likes of the Celtics. The Lakers, who shot just 16.7% from three, won the game with their hustle and their defense, forcing 15 turnovers on the Timberwolves and holding them to 41.2% from the floor.
Between Anthony Davis and Jaxson Hayes in the frontcourt, the Lakers had the paint on total lockdown and they challenged just about every shot attempt near the rim.
It was through their defense that the Lakers won the title in 2020 and so if they’re gonna do it again, chances are that it’ll be with their defense. With Anthony Davis and LeBron James leading the way on that end of the floor, the Lakers are in good hands so long as they can stay healthy.
Tonight, they were able to get the win against a good team without any problems and that’s something to be happy about if you’re a Lakers fan. Just a season ago, things might have turned toxic after they lost but it seems like everyone’s on the same page now and it’s a good reflection of where they stand in the Western Conference.
Next up on the schedule, the Lakers will host the Phoenix Suns for another game in the Crypto.com arena. The match, which is set for Friday, will be another big test for the Purple and Gold and the hype will only get higher if they manage to win their second straight.
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