Lake Show Life
Fansided

Los Angeles Lakers drop preseason opener to Minnesota Timberwolves

By Kenneth Teape

ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves shake hands during the preseason game on September 30, 2017 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the Minnesota Timberwolves shake hands during the preseason game on September 30, 2017 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their 2017 preseason tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Anaheim, California. The sold-out arena pulled for the Lakers, but they were unable to pull out their first victory, falling to the Timberwolves 108-99.

The Lakers were without some key players tonight, as both centers, Brook Lopez and Andrew Bogut, did not suit up. It left the Lakers with a smaller starting lineup, as Larry Nance Jr. started at center next to Julius Randle. It was the type of small-ball lineup that has become popular in the NBA, as the Lakers were out and running at every opportunity.

With two big men as athletic as Nance Jr. and Randle, the Lakers unsurprisingly succeeded in the open court. Lonzo Ball didn’t have a great shooting night in his debut, much like his Las Vegas Summer League debut. However, he racked up the assists and got his teammates involved early and often with eight assists in the game.

Brandon Ingram wanted to come out and be more aggressive against the Timberwolves. It was something he showed in his lone Summer League appearance, and he showcased it again tonight. Ingram showed off his range early in the game, knocking down two three-pointers in the first quarter.

More from Lakers News

The Lakers have some hype surrounding them as they enter the season, and the Timberwolves did too. Tonight was the first time we saw some of the Timberwolves new players, such as Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague, on the court with Karl-Anthony Towns.

The Timberwolves have a lot of offensive firepower, but the Lakers did a solid job on the defensive end of the court. Minnesota shot 41.6 percent from the field and 30 percent from deep, numbers that are a huge improvement from last season.

It is only one game, but the effort on the defensive end of the court was encouraging to see. With how undersized the Lakers were in the game, they did struggle to defend inside a little bit. Towns, Gorgui Dieng and Taj Gibson all scored in double-figures. Gibson and Dieng dominated the glass, pulling down nine and 12 rebounds respectively.

For the Lakers, their high scorer came off the bench. Kyle Kuzma poured in a team-high 19 points. He displayed an array of moves offensively, stepping out to the three-point line and getting to work around the rim. Kuzma carried over his offensive prowess from the Summer League and looked great once again.

While the Lakers loss is disappointing, there were some positives to take away from it. There are also some things the Lakers need to work on, as things will undoubtedly get better once chemistry and cohesion are improved.

Next: 5 Bold Predictions For Lakers 2017-18 Season

The Lakers will be back at it on Monday night when they play against the Denver Nuggets at the STAPLES Center.

Home/Lakers News