Matt Burns explained what the biggest problem for the Los Angeles Lakers was in Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers have been a number of expert choices to win the NBA Championship this season, and the Timberwolves were not expected to pose many threats.
However, All-Star Guard Anthony Edwards inspired his team to win at the Crypto.com Arena, and suddenly Game 2 became a must-see.
Burns pointed out how JJ Reddick’s team was exposed last time and that it doesn’t happen again if they want to move forward.
The Timberwolves were the major underdogs, but they clearly have the talent to plague LeBron James, Luca Donsic and the co.
But no one thought he would blow the Lakers away in Game 1.
Burns admitted he was “very surprised” by the way the game panned out, and was particularly plagued by the Lakers’ defense.
Everyone knows that the Lakers are an offensive-oriented team, but they don’t succeed in such an inactive transition defense.
Burns said in all the smoke: “I was very surprised, and I wasn’t surprised that the Timberwolves won, so I wasn’t surprised at how surprised they won the fashion.
“But fast breakpoints: 25-6. They worry about me in terms of the Lakers being just an older team. Usually the playoffs are slower, but if you can get 25 fast breakpoints in the playoff game, you’re really doing something.”
Burns co-host Rachel Nichols believes the Timberwolves have exposed one important flaw in the Lakers roster.
Since Mark Williams’ trade broke, Redick has been left with Jackson Hayes as his only true center.
The lack of internal defense was a serious problem with the Timberwolves, with Edwards dominating the paint.
“We thought the Lakers were going to win this series, because they just ended up out of Minnesota,” Nichols said. “That’s how the Lakers win the playoff series this year, and they’re going to score so many points with such strong offenses that they can make up for their defensive flaws.
“The reason it’s falling apart is that if there’s someone who can really drive in the lane and make them pay in the basket because they don’t have that interior defense anymore, I was really impressed with Anthony Edwards, he was very disciplined.”