The Los Angeles Lakers’ 117-95 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs didn’t just expose cracks—it spotlighted a gaping hole. Despite Luka Dončić’s 37-point effort, LA was clearly outmatched in the paint. Without a reliable center, the Lakers lacked the defensive presence, rebounding power, and lob-finishing that could’ve changed the game’s tone.
No Anchor in the Middle
The Lakers’ rotation at center simply didn’t hold up. Jaxson Hayes played just eight minutes, and Los Angeles was outscored by 11 in that brief stint. Without a true big, the Timberwolves attacked relentlessly inside, outscoring LA in the paint and dominating the glass. Minnesota grabbed 42 rebounds to the Lakers’ 33 and turned that into 23 second-chance points—numbers that usually spell disaster.
Even Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels noticed. “When Hayes wasn’t out there, I felt like I was the tallest guy on the court,” he said after his 25-point performance.
Dončić Missing His Favorite Targets
Last postseason, Dončić thrived with lob threats like Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II in Dallas. Those two combined for more than half of his assists in the Western Conference Finals. On Saturday? He had just one assist—his lowest in a playoff game since his rookie year.
Without a vertical threat to finish plays, Dončić’s passing game becomes easier to predict and defend. Most of his dishes now go out to 3-point shooters, and LA isn’t built to win from deep—they ranked just 14th in percentage and 19th in attempts during the regular season.
Rethinking the Game Plan
The Lakers weren’t supposed to look like this. They almost traded for Charlotte’s Mark Williams at the deadline but backed off due to medical concerns. That decision is haunting them now. Without Anthony Davis and lacking any dependable big, their high-level shot creators—Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves—are left trying to force mismatches without enough floor balance.
The offense sputtered to just 95 points despite hitting 15 threes. There’s no easy fix on this current roster, and even creative tweaks—like running LeBron as a roll man—have limitations.
What Comes Next?
There’s still time to adjust in this series, but the message from Game 1 was loud and clear: the Lakers need a true big man to compete at the highest level. The Timberwolves’ top-tier defense isn’t going to break down unless the Lakers force it to with inside pressure and rim threats.
Until then, Dončić’s brilliance may not be enough. For LA to make a real run, plugging the hole in the middle has to be priority one—if not this postseason, then certainly in the summer.
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