The Lakers are behind 1-3 in the playoffs, what exactly is the problem?

In the playoffs this season, the situation of the Los Angeles Lakers is surprising and heartbreaking. As the third-seeded team in the West, in the first round of the match against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which is sixth in the West, the Lakers actually lagged behind by a big score of 1-3 and faced a huge elimination crisis. You should know that at the beginning of the season, many media and fans had high expectations for the Lakers, believing that they had the opportunity to go further in the playoffs and even make the championship. So, what exactly caused the Lakers to fall into such a difficult situation now?

Tactics and lineup allocation issues

Lakers head coach Redick's tactical arrangements and lineup allocation are questioned. In the series, he relies too much on the starting lineup, especially the two core cores of James and Doncic, which resulted in the two playing time and the physical energy consumption. For example, in the G4 game, James and Doncic both played for 46 minutes and had almost no rotation in the second half, which made the two overdrawn physically in the final quarter, greatly reduced offensive efficiency, and it was difficult to exert force on the defensive end, which eventually led to the team's collapse at a critical moment.

In addition, Redick also seems to be lagging behind in tactical adjustments. In the G4 game, although the starting lineup he arranged has some flexibility on the offensive end, there are many loopholes on the defensive end, which fails to effectively limit the Timberwolves' offensive firepower. Moreover, in subsequent games, he failed to make targeted tactical changes in time based on the opponent's adjustments, which made the Lakers always fall into a passive situation of being beaten.

The inside disadvantages are obvious

After sending Anthony Davis away the trading deadline, the Lakers' inside strength was greatly reduced, leaving only Hayes as a center, and Hayes' ability and experience are limited, so it is difficult to assume the responsibility of inside defense and rebound protection. In the series against the Timberwolves, the Lakers' inside was completely defeated by their opponents. The Timberwolves' Randall and Reed, one inside and one outside, put huge pressure on the Lakers' inside. The Lakers had to play in the five-squad lineup for a long time, but this led to further disadvantages in the interior defense and rebounding. According to statistics, the Lakers lag behind the Timberwolves in the series in both interior scoring and rebounding.

The defensive end has many loopholes

The Lakers' performance on the defensive end is difficult to satisfy. There are many problems with their defensive system, such as untimely defensive rotation, poor communication, and poor player sense of defensive position. Edwards, the Timberwolves' offensive core, averaged 30.5 points per game in the series, shooting as high as 52.8% from the field and 42.9% from three-point shooting. The Lakers' defense almost had no choice but to do anything to him. In addition, the Lakers lack effective strategies for other Timberwolves' defenses, allowing opponents to easily obtain shooting opportunities and offensive space. So far in the series, the Timberwolves have averaged up to 120.5 points per game, far higher than their regular season average.

performance was poor at critical moments

At critical moments in the playoffs, the Lakers' performance was not stable enough. In the G4 game, the Lakers were 10 points ahead in the early stage of the fourth quarter, but were then hit by the Timberwolves with a 19-9 attack wave, which was eventually reversed. This reflects the Lakers' lack of execution at critical moments, the players' mentality on the court is not stable enough, and they are prone to making mistakes and nervousness, resulting in missed opportunities. In contrast, Timberwolves players are more able to stay calm at critical moments and grasp the rhythm of the game to win.

The team's chemistry has not reached its best

Although the joining of James and Doncic gave the Lakers strong offensive firepower, the chemistry between the two and the other players of the team has not yet been fully formed. In the regular season, the Lakers achieved some good results with the strength of the two, but under the high-intensity confrontation in the playoffs, the team's overall lack of tacit understanding was exposed. The pass coordination between players is not smooth enough, and mistakes often occur. There are also problems with the cooperation on the defensive end, making it difficult to form an effective defensive overall.

The Timberwolves' outstanding performance

It cannot be ignored that the Timberwolves' outstanding performance in this series is also one of the important reasons why the Lakers are in trouble. As the core of the team, Edwards showed his strong personal ability and dominance in the game. His outstanding performance on the offensive end caused great trouble for the Lakers. In addition, other Timberwolves players such as Gobert and McDaniels also performed well. They provided strong support for the team in terms of inside defense, rebounding and outside shooting, making the Timberwolves have the upper hand in the duel with the Lakers.

The Lakers' lag 1-3 now is the result of the combined effect of multiple factors. There are problems in tactics, lineup, defense, performance at critical moments, and team chemistry, while the Timberwolves' outstanding performance further exacerbates the Lakers' dilemma. Now, the Lakers are on the verge of being eliminated. If they want to complete the reversal, they must adjust their state as soon as possible in subsequent games, solve problems, and regain confidence and fighting spirit in order to create miracles in the remaining games and achieve a comeback. Otherwise, they can only end this expectant season with regret.