ESPN's Brian Windhorst said the Lakers' Timberwolves series “feels tight to me”
Saturday, April 19, the 2025 NBA playoffs begin. There were several interesting showdowns in the first round. ESPN's Brian Windhorst held SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt on Thursday.
Winhorst said the Lakers compete fiercely with the Timberwolves series. Los Angeles reloaded on the trade deadline and acquired Luka Doncic. However, the Timberwolves made it to the Western Conference Finals in the 2024 playoffs. They don't plan to withdraw in the first round of the playoffs. Who will win this star's first round?
Can the Timberwolves bother the Lakers in the playoffs?
“In my opinion, this series is really tight.”@windhorstespn Talk about the expectations of the Lakers and Timberwolves series in the NBA playoffs. pic.twitter.com/csnmtzbbif
– NBA on ESPN (@epnnba) April 18, 2025
ESPN's Brian Windhorst said in a conversation with his colleague Scott Van Pelt that the Lakers had “tight to me”. He explained how the Lakers got an “incomplete roster.” Los Angeles acquired Luka Doncic on the trade deadline. However, their current lineup is built around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. When the Lakers bought Luca, they had to trade Anthony Davis to Dallas.
This makes Jaxson Hayes the only center they see whenever they really play. Los Angeles uses smaller rotations, usually using the striker as a frontcourt player. Minnesota may have the same advantages as Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid and Julius Randle. Winkhorst also noted that the Timberwolves have a dominant star in Anthony Edwards.
He can live Minnesota in the playoffs alone. During his playoff career, Edwards averaged 27.8 points per game. The Timberwolves have several capable scorers that can help Minnesota destroy the Lakers. In addition, their team's defense is much better than Los Angeles. For these reasons, Brian Windhorst believes that the Lakers and Timberwolves series will be highly controversial.
