Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick labeled the Minnesota Timberwolves as a “very difficult opponent” as his team turns its attention to the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Redick addressed reporters after the Lakers’ 109-81 loss in Portland, where LeBron James and Luka Doncic sat out, and the team rested several key players ahead of the postseason.
The Timberwolves enter the playoffs riding a three-game win streak and finished the season 49-33, earning the No. 6 seed just one game behind the Lakers.
“They’ve played as well as anyone lately,” Redick said during his postgame media availability. “They’re one of four teams in the top 10 in both offense and defense, so they present a lot of problems.”
Minnesota ranks among the league’s most balanced teams, powered by the interior duo of Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert and led on the perimeter by Anthony Edwards.
The two teams have only faced each other once since the Lakers acquired Doncic at the deadline with LA winning 111-102, and Redick acknowledged that neither side has full tape of the matchup with both lineups intact.
“We’ve had games where we hadn’t played the team since AD was on the team and didn’t have Luka,” Redick said. “We have a general idea of what their rules are, just like they have a general idea of what our rules are.”
Redick also revealed that the Lakers will begin their playoff preparation in phases, starting Tuesday with internal reviews before shifting focus toward Minnesota midweek.
He noted that assistant coach Greg Stiemsma, who was part of the Suns staff during their playoff loss to the Timberwolves last season, brings valuable insight.
“That was literally the first thing he said to me after the game,” Redick said. “We have a lot of work to do. They’re a really good basketball team.”
The Lakers finished the regular season at 50-32, clinching the West’s No. 3 seed and securing home-court advantage in the opening round.
Despite Sunday’s loss to the Trail Blazers, the coaching staff emphasized preparation over the final result, especially with key players resting.
“We had to play two bigs that haven’t really played together,” Redick said. “Christian [Koloko] and Trey [Jemison], outside of some South Bay games, haven’t been on the court together.”
Los Angeles will host Minnesota in Game 1 of their first-round series, with the full playoff schedule to be announced following the conclusion of the Play-In Tournament.
Redick and his staff will use the next several days to finalize their game plan, with the scouting process already underway.
“We’ll spend some time Tuesday and Wednesday introducing a little bit of playoff stuff,” Redick said. “It’s not going to be everything at once—we’ll have to slow drip.”
