The Los Angeles Lakers are at risk of an early elimination from the NBA Playoffs after losing Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers already trailed 2-1 in the series before Sunday’s game, so it felt like a must-win, and JJ Redick certainly treated it like one.
The head coach played the starters for every minute of the second half, but it still wasn’t enough to beat Anthony Edwards and Co.
LA now find themselves 3-1 down, with only a slim chance to progress to the Western Conference Semi-Finals.
Many fans and experts have pinned the Lakers’ struggles against the Timberwolves on one problem, which Nick Wright totally disagrees with.
The Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade was an absolute no-brainer for Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, with the organization’s long-term future in mind.
Doncic is considerably younger than Davis and less injury-prone, so he gives them a better chance to compete for championships in the next decade.
However, it did leave the Lakers with a concerning lack of big man depth in the short term, especially after the trade for Mark Williams collapsed.
Redick would probably love a lockdown perimeter defender to make up for Doncic’s shortcomings on that side of the floor, too.
For those reasons, the consensus is that roster construction is to blame for the Lakers’ 3-1 deficit to the Timberwolves.
Whereas, Wright refuses to accept that as an excuse. “You still see moments/flashes from this team that show the highest end,” he explained.
“I understand some folks are going to say, ‘Listen, we knew this was a mismatched roster when you traded for a guy midseason, and you need an offseason.’
“I don’t buy all that. Or maybe I should buy it, but I knew all that going into these playoffs.”
One key advantage Wright assumed the Lakers would have over the Timberwolves was execution in the final minutes of close games.
Redick’s team, led by LeBron James and Doncic, has significantly more playoff experience than their opponents.
However, those two haven’t had the upper edge on Edwards, who has scored far more points in clutch time and led his team to victory three times.
Wright added, “I thought they got the perfect draw. I thought the Timberwolves would be athletic and feisty, but I did not think that in close games late, they would have the edge, and they have.”
