On the Inside the NBA show after the Lakers game, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley were once again at loggerheads over how the Lakers are exploiting the Timberwolves‘ weakness. After leading by 19 points at the half, the Lakers won the second game with a nail-biting 94-85 score, as the Timberwolves nearly made a strong run to fight back into the game but fell short with a mountain too high to climb.
It has been visible in this series that the Lakers are targeting the Rudy Gobert match-up. While Shaq was satisfied to see the Lakers exploiting Gobert, Barkley felt it made the offense stagnant and boring. While reacting to the highlights of the game, Barkley made his feelings known on the Lakers’ offense.
“I hated the Lakers’ offense, I don’t think the Lakers can win this series playing offense just like they did going at Rudy Gobert all night… That offense they were running was so boring. They just went at Rudy Gobert every time, they had nobody moving, they had no ball movement.”, he said. (3:30 onwards)
Later on in the segment, Barkley doubled down on his criticism of the Lakers’ offense. He recalled what happened the last time Doncic faced Gobert in the playoffs (last season, Western Conference Finals) and how stagnant it made their offense to just keep going at Gobert each time.
“I think what the Lakers got to, they got to change their offense… Remember last year when they went at Rudy? Like Luka, Luka does have an advantage, but it slows the whole game down. And we were sitting back there watching. They were going at Rudy like, and everybody was standing around. They were using up the whole shot clock because, like Kenny said, I don’t think the Lakers played great tonight. I think Minnesota didn’t play as well. But I don’t think the Lakers want to play every game when they go at Rudy Gobert the whole time,” said Barkley. (12:00 onwards)
Shaq did not agree with Barkley’s opinion. He supported the Lakers for attacking and exploiting Rudy Gobert’s weakness (guarding the perimeter and keeping up with fast guards).
“It’s nice what Chuck and Kenny saying, but they’re not going to adjust. The game we are watching now is to take advantage of mismatches, isos, and you shoot the three. Both teams shot 20% from three-point range,” he said initially. (13:27 onwards)
Then he moved on to explain what the Timberwolves need to do to stay comfortable and win at home. Their role players like Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels need to step up for them to have any chance, he said.
“But you know, as far as switching up the offense, that’s not going to happen. They’re going to take advantage of the mismatch. They’re going to draw and kick. They’re going to shoot threes. That’s just the way they play,” concluded Shaq.
What Does This Mean For The Lakers?
All eyes are going to be fixated on the Lakers’ series. The Lakers now have the option of deciding whether or not to continue using this same strategy or make a change if the need arises. Barkley has a valid point that this form of offense is not the most fun to watch from a fan’s perspective, and it is also a bit inefficient in the long run. Fortunately for the Lakers, the Timberwolves did not play their best basketball in the first half.
However, Shaq also has a valid point in saying they have no other reason to move away from this strategy if it has worked for them this far. If other Timberwolves players figure out a way to help Rudy Gobert on the floor while guarding the perimeter, only then would the Lakers logically move away from that strategy. Therefore, until that happens, it is very likely the Lakers will still look to exploit Rudy Gobert’s weakness on the perimeter. Do you think the Lakers will stick with this strategy or move away from it to play more fundamental basketball, which involves heavier ball movement? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
