The Los Angeles Lakers open up the 2025 playoffs with a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The last time the two teams played in the playoffs was during the 2003 Western Conference Finals when the Lakers beat the Timberwolves in three games.
Minnesota will finally have their chance at revenge decades later. Speaking of revenge, Julius Randle will be playing in his first playoff matchup against the Lakers.
Los Angeles drafted the forward in the first round back in 2014. He spent four seasons with the team before they let him walk in free agency. That said, it was a long time ago, and Randle has flourished since leaving the team.
While he doesn’t have a bone to pick with the Lakers, he might have one with head coach JJ Redick. Randle took a playful shot at Redick ahead of the playoff matchup.
“No, I hate JJ,” Randle told reporters when asked about his thoughts on the coach.
Randle laughed after and was clearly joking around. While the team never played on the same team, they’ve battled a lot as players. This will be a different experience for Randle.
Does Size Matter in Lakers-Wolves Matchup?
The Lakers are heavily favored to beat the Timberwolves, but there’s one thing Minnesota can take advantage of: Los Angeles’ lack of size. Jaxson Hayes is likely the only true center who is going to play a lot of minutes.
However, the Lakers will play a lot of smaller lineups throughout the playoffs. Austin Reaves thinks it will work as long as everybody plays hard.
“You just got to play hard as (expletive),” Reaves said of the Lakers’ smaller lineups, via The Athletic. “Every possession, you win by the smallest margin or you lose the smallest margin in the playoffs as we could tell from last year. Obviously, ain’t the same team, but if you go back and watch last year’s games, one thing here and there could have changed the whole series. We can’t take possessions off.”
Also, the Lakers may not have size, but they also have Luka Doncic, who is as confident as ever heading into the playoffs.
“He thinks that there’s not a person in the world that can guard him,” Redick said of Doncic. “So I think he takes that seriously, that matchup in particular.”
Anthony Edwards Wants Teammates to Be Confident
Anthony Edwards proved last year that he’s good enough to lead the Timberwolves far into the playoffs.
“At this point in the season, it don’t matter who gets 20 points, 30 points,” Edwards said. “It don’t matter if I have five points. It don’t matter if Julius (Randle) has five points. Some nights it might be Naz (Reid) gets 30. This whole series, Jaden might average 25.
“It doesn’t matter who gets all the buckets and shots, man. We gotta be willing to shoot the ball, no matter if we making or missing shots. We gotta be confident. We know it’s going to be a tough battle.”
