Lakers vs Timberwolves Postgame Report
Tonight, we finally got to see the team we have been waiting all summer for. The latest iteration of the Los Angeles Lakers took the court tonight for the first time against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Palm Springs, California.
This exhibition game was the first chance for Lakers fans to see a few new wrinkles to the team. Tonight’s game featured the debut of first-year coach JJ Redick. It also included rookies Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, along with players we didn’t see much last season.
Bronny James Jr block + assist pic.twitter.com/A4GZjiIR6Z
— The Magic Way (@MagicFilmRoom) October 5, 2024
We didn’t get to see either of the two Lakers’ superstars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as they are set to play in the team’s second preseason game against the Suns on Sunday.
With Redick now at the helm, Lakers fans saw something they haven’t seen in some years: competency. Our collective eyes witnessed drawn-up plays, timely timeouts, and his hands out of his pockets directing out-of-bounds plays.
He will have some kinks to work out, as the team allowed the Timberwolves to shoot 40.5% from three and allowed 124 points. The good news is that their team defense looked much more structured for multiple stretches of the game than last season.
For the majority of the night, Minnesota had its way from three-point land. They used the momentum created from those threes to create multiple twenty-point leads over the course of the evening.
Great effort on defense so far by the whole team pic.twitter.com/ZnMBuJQ5vK
— Brian (#1 Max Christie Fan Acct) (@RunTheJules) October 5, 2024
While the Lakers were able to dig their way out time after time, even getting it to a one-point deficit late in the 2nd-half, ultimately, it wasn’t enough.
Dante DiVincenzo looked very comfortable in his first showing, with the new team recording 11 points on 100% shooting. Rookie Rob Dillingham, out of the University of Kentucky, also had a fantastic debut, scoring 21 points on 3/6 shooting from deep. At this point, selecting a Kentucky guard is as safe a bet as selecting an LSU wide receiver.
The Others
Without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, we got to see many of the other players who will be vying for that 9-man rotation coach Redick referred to.
JJ Redick said he plans on having a nine-man rotation in the regular season. He mentioned Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt (when healthy), Jaxson Hayes, Max Christie, Cam Reddish and JHS as players vying for bench rotation spots. He also noted he was likely forgetting a player.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) October 1, 2024
We didn’t get Cam Reddish or Jared Vanderbilt due to injury, but we did see other players fighting for minutes. The rookies had decent showings as Knecht was tied for the team lead in points with 16, while Bronny contributed with a team-high three blocks.
Gabe Vincent also got into the mix, showing fans what they’ve been missing with his talent from beyond the arc and perimeter defense off the bench.
Second-year guard Jalen Hood-Schifino had a solid game as well. He filled up the box score, putting up 6/4/6. Even more importantly, his confidence, which appeared to be non-existent last season, looked to have performed a 180.
All in all, the final score was not what Lakers fans were wanting to see, but it is just preseason. As long as we get to see legitimate contributions from the supporting cast, that’s a win.
Notable Lakers Performances
Austin Reaves: 16 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 10/10 FT, 25 minutes
Max Christie: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 stocks (2 blocks, 1 steal), 34 minutes
Gabe Vincent: 11 points, 4/6 FG, 2/4 3P, 1 steal, 15 minutes
Dalton Knecht: 16 points, 7/13 FG, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
