One of the most attractive first-round playoff matchups pit the third-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves against the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.
Tensions continue to build as these teams prepare to compete for the spot in the Western Conference semi-finals.
Former player in both franchises, Patrick Beverly has identified three key question marks facing the Lakers heading into the series.
Beverly’s initial concern centers around who will defend Timberwolves rising superstar Anthony Edwards.
Jarred Vanderbilt looks like a major contender, but Beverley has serious doubts about the matchup.
“There are a few. Vand, can he slow Ali? Can he defend a different position? Can he hit corner three?” Beverly was raised questioning, highlighting both defensive and offensive concerns about the Lakers’ advance.
Beverly’s second question mark revolves around the availability and effectiveness of Louis Hachimura.
The forwards suffered from fitness issues throughout the second half of the regular season, potentially causing the Lakers to lose the depth of rotation.
“Louis… can he get healthy, can he make shots, can he remain offensive throughout the playoff series?” Beverly wondered.
Perhaps most surprising, Beverly identified LeBron James as the Lakers’ third major X-factor.
Beverly, drawn from his Minnesota experience, believes that the Timberwolves will deliberately target the 39-year-old superstar.
“A lot of people don’t get this, but they need to. It’s LeBron James. I played for Minnesota.
“They test LeBron James for this series. There’s no doubt about that. They put him in a lot of action, a lot of pick-and-roll actions, a lot of ISO actions. He’s not just him, but the Lakers have to find a way to contain the ball.”
Despite these concerns, the Lakers are one of their favorites to make the deep playoffs this year. Under new coach JJ Reddick, they showed significant improvements during the regular season.