L.A. Lakers, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic at brink of elimination due to their current standings.
In today's NBA, even during the 3-point explosion era, the territory around the hoop remains the most precious on the court. Modern offenses may show high numbers in the box score, but they’re still primarily based on attacking the rim. Defenses, on the other hand, are still predominantly about denying access to that space. It’s often the emphasis teams place on denying paint shots that leads to 3s for the offense, kicking off this cat-and-mouse game.
In no first-round series this postseason has the importance of hoop shots been more apparent than the one between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves have taken charge in the face of an L.A. defense that’s struggled to contain them, leading 3-1 heading into Game 5. If the Lakers lose the series, their inability to stop Minnesota from penetrating their defense will shoulder the blame.
The Lakers pulled off a major coup by adding Luka Doncic to their roster in early February, a move that could shape the franchise for the next decade. However, in the short term, Los Angeles gave up Anthony Davis, their best interior defender, and missing out on Mark Williams at the deadline has left them vulnerable down low.
In the playoff field, Minnesota is averaging the most shots per game in the restricted area, taking 28.3 attempts a night. They're also averaging the most points on drives among postseason teams, with 32.3 points. That's higher than what they averaged during the regular season.
"The fact is, we don't have rim protection," L.A. head coach JJ Redick said after their Game 3 loss. "So if you give up blow-bys, we're going to give up something. We're going to give up a 3 or give up a shot from [Anthony Edwards] at the rim."
The Timberwolves have been so effective at attacking the paint that they're the only team in the first round leading their series despite having made fewer 3-point field goals than their opponent.
L.A.'s starting center, Jaxson Hayes, hasn't made an impact this series, managing only 31 minutes and fouling eight times compared to his seven points. Hayes' size and fouling problems leave the team vulnerable to three-pointers. Redick has tried to compensate by playing a smaller lineup, subbing Hayes out for small forward Dorian Finney-Smith. However, this substitution hasn't been enough to counter Minnesota's dominant paint game.
Minnesota's forward Jaden McDaniels has thrived on the Lakers' lack of defense, averaging 19.8 points in the first round, a leap from his regular-season average of 12.2 points. Anthony Edwards, meanwhile, has been the driving force, averaging 29.8 points per game and getting wherever he wants on the floor.
If Los Angeles can't figure out a way to defend the most prized real estate on the court, Minnesota will be heading to the second round. The Lakers need a solution - and fast.
- In the context of the NBA playoffs, the importance of shots focusing on the hoop or 'real estate' around it has become increasingly clear, as illustrated by the Lakers-Timberwolves series.
- The Timberwolves' offensive strategy, centered on attacking the paint and penetrating the defense, has been exceptionally effective, resulting in a 3-1 lead in their series against the Lakers.
- The Lakers' struggles in containing Minnesota in the paint have been a significant factor in their current predicament, with their potential loss of the series likely to be attributed to their ineffective real estate defense.
- Minnesota's success in exploiting the Lakers' defensive weaknesses has allowed them to lead their series despite averaging fewer 3-point field goals than their opponents, emphasizing the persisting significance of internal defense in basketball.
