The Los Angeles Lakers will face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday at Crypto.com Arena, revisiting last season’s playoff matchup. Head coach JJ Redick spoke Thursday about preparing his team despite distractions surrounding NBA gambling investigations.
“I’m finding it out as you guys are, but the rules about this are pretty clear and the league does a good job talking to coaches, talking to players about what is and isn’t permitted,” Redick said. He added that the Lakers have already held two team meetings on the matter.
Redick highlighted defensive adjustments against Minnesota, specifically Marcus Smart guarding Anthony Edwards. “Marcus’ job is to establish physicality. With him and Vando, you’ve got to be willing to live with some stuff because that’s part of their DNA to be disruptive,” Redick said. He also praised Donte DiVincenzo, calling him “an underrated defender” who adds physicality to the team.
Reflecting on last season, Redick admitted he would have approached the week before Game 1 differently. “The biggest takeaway from watching that stuff is we’ve got to get back to playing hard every single night,” he said.
Redick noted the Lakers aim to improve defensively this season. “We were 21st last year in deflections, blocks, and steals. With DA and Smart, we should be much better relative to the rest of the league this year,” he said.
Los Angeles opened the season with a 119–109 loss to the Golden State Warriors. Luka Doncic scored 43 points, becoming the first Laker since Kobe Bryant in 2013 to reach 40 in a season opener, while Austin Reaves added 26 points. The team shot 25% from three-point range and 60.7% from the free-throw line.
Minnesota enters the matchup off a 118–114 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, led by Anthony Edwards’ 41 points. The Timberwolves shot 50% from deep and played without injuries, giving them a full-strength lineup against the Lakers.
Redick emphasized focusing on the present rather than past playoff disappointments. “Our standard is going to be playing hard, disciplined, and focused,” he said. He believes team communication and effort will determine the outcome, especially with LeBron James sidelined until mid-November and forwards Maxi Kleber and Adou Thiero out.
