The Lakers failed to bet during the offseason? Send Davis away for Doncic, the first round is eliminated sounded the alarm bell

In the first round of the NBA Western Conference playoffs that ended on May 1, the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 103-96 away, eliminating their opponents 4-1 with a total score, and once again entered the Western Conference semi-finals after many years.

Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert dominates offense and defense with 27 points and 24 rebounds, while the luxury dual core of the Lakers "Jan Dong combination" failed to save the decline. The ending of being eliminated in the first round made Lakers management and fans fall into reflection.

Series Review: From the first game collapse to G5's despair

1. G1: The Lakers suffered 22 points at home, and their defensive strategy completely failed in the first game of the series. The Lakers lost 95-117 at home, setting the largest home score difference loss in the playoffs.

Timberwolves scored 20+ (Edwards 22 points, McDaniels 25 points, Reed 23 points), with a three-point shooting percentage of up to 50%, directly breaking through the Lakers' contraction joint defense strategy.

The Lakers' weak inside rotation was fully exposed. Although Gobert scored only 2 points, his pick-and-roll quality and frame protection deterrent created a large number of open opportunities for the outside.

2. G2-G4: The Timberwolves suppressed offense and defense, and the Lakers rely on the double stars to support it. Although the Lakers won a 94-85 game in G2, the Timberwolves quickly won two consecutive games in G3 and G4, rewriting the big score to 3-1. In

G3, Edwards scored 7 points in the last quarter and led the team to a 13-1 attack wave, contributing 29+8+8 in the whole game; G4 narrowly won overtime with Edwards' super performance of 43 points.

In contrast, Doncic's condition fluctuated due to gastrointestinal discomfort. Although James scored 38 points and 10 rebounds in G3, the physical bottleneck appeared in the final quarter, and the Lakers were still difficult to break the Timberwolves' defensive system.

3. G5: Gobert's double 20+ ended the suspense. The Lakers were unable to turn the game back and forth. The Lakers, who changed the game, activated Finney Smith in G5, but were attacked 21-9 by the Timberwolves at the beginning.

Although Doncic fought for 28 points and 9 assists with injury, James contributed 22 points and 7 rebounds, Gobert completely dominated the penalty area with an epic performance of 27 points and 24 rebounds. The Lakers lost the inside and finally lost 96-103.

Timberwolves' victory is analyzed: Team basketball + defense iron wall

1. Gobert's dominance in the penalty area

series, Gobert averaged 18.2 points, 15.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game, and G5 even set a new personal playoff high with 27 points and 24 rebounds.

His presence not only limits Lakers' inside scoring (the Lakers average only 38.5 points in the penalty area), but also creates offensive space for outside players such as Edwards and Randle through high-quality pick-and-rolls.

The Lakers lacked top franchise guards after trading Davis, and the combination of Hayes and Ryan could not match Gobert's strength at all.

2. Edwards' superstar transformation

22-year-old Anthony Edwards averaged 28.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists in this round of the series, and took over the game repeatedly at critical moments.

G3 scored 7 points in the last quarter to secure the victory, and G4 scored 43 points to break the personal playoff score record.

His breakthrough pass activated role players such as McDaniels and Reed. The Timberwolves averaged 25.6 points per game, far exceeding the Lakers' 7.4 points.

3. Three-point firepower and defensive counterattack

Timberwolves averaged 3-point shooting percentage (Lakes 36.3%) and averaged 19.4 points in fast break scores (Lakes 12.8 points). The stable output of the

outside shooters (such as Reed and McDaniels) and the impact of Edwards and Randall make the Lakers' weakness of insufficient retreat speed magnification.

The Lakers' defeat was analyzed: lineup defects + tactical rigidity

1. The inside shortcoming resulted in fatal injuries

After sending Anthony Davis away for Doncic, only blue-collar players such as Hayes and Ryan remained in the inside.

Faced with the successive impact of Gobert and Reed, the Lakers averaged 39.5 rebounds per game (26th in the league), lost 48.2 points in the penalty area, and ranked last in the league in franchise protection ability. In

G5, Gobert grabbed 9 frontcourt rebounds by himself, which is equivalent to the total of the Lakers team.

2. Over-reliance on the "Jandong combination"

James and Doncic averaged 53.6 points per game, accounting for 52.4% of the team's score, but the dual-core encountered targeted defense of the Timberwolves: Doncic was consumed by Conley and Divinchenzo's rotational battle, while James's efficiency dropped sharply in the final quarter due to physical limitations. Among the

role players, except Hachimura Shizuki (17.2 points per game), Reeves, Vincent and others have insufficient shooting stability, and the Lakers averaged only 7.4 points per game, setting the worst record in the history of the playoffs.

3. The coaching staff adjusted slowly on the spot

coach Darwin Hamm insisted on shrinking the joint defense strategy and allowed the Timberwolves to shoot from the outside. He did not use the switch to defend when the G1 opponent's three-point shooting rate soared to 50%.

In addition, the Lakers failed to effectively use Doncic's pick-and-roll to target Gobert's mobile shortcomings, and the problem of tactical rigidity is significant.

Future Outlook: The Timberwolves attack the Western Conference Finals, and the Lakers' Rebuilding is imminent

Timberwolves: After advancing to the Western Conference semi-finals, the Timberwolves will face the winners of the Warriors and Rockets. If they maintain their current offensive and defensive efficiency (fifth in the league with defensive efficiency of 110.8), they are expected to break through the best record in team history.

Edwards' growth and Gobert Randall's internal and external combination give the team a potential for championship competition.

Lakers: James (40 years old)'s career countdown has entered the countdown. Although Doncic averaged 28+7+9 per game, the team urgently needs to strengthen the inside and substitute depth.

Management needs to weigh trade chips during the offseason. If a balanced lineup cannot be built around the dual core, Doncic's contract renewal may become a hidden danger.

Conclusion

This round of series confirms the ultimate truth of basketball: teamwork and defensive resilience are always higher than that of star singles.

The Timberwolves used their youthful vitality and tactical discipline to shatter the Lakers' dream of winning, while the Purple and Gold Legion had to face the pain of lineup reconstruction. The era of James is slowly coming to an end, and the rise of Edwards and the Timberwolves may open a new chapter in the NBA.