Gameday Primer: Wolves - Lakers

By: Dan Slaubaugh

Good morning, Wolves fans. We are now just 15 days away from Christmas. That has me asking myself what the Wolves record will look like on Christmas day. Currently, they are 8-12 and have lost 4 straight. If they can get within 2 games of .500 before Christmas day, I'll be satisfied. This is what their schedule looks like till the 25th. 

Dec 9: Lakers (H)
Dec 11: Nuggets (A)
Dec 13: Suns (A)
Dec 15: Nuggets (H)
Dec 16: Knicks (A)
Dec 18: Kings (H)
Dec 20: Nets (A)
Dec 21: Celtics (A)
Dec 23: Spurs (H)

Looking at it, you'd think they'd be able to grab at least 5 out of the 9, if not more. It all comes down to making winning plays down the stretch. 

Tonight, the Lakers (3-18) are in town. It will be Kobe Bryant's final game at Target Center, so the place should be packed with Lakers fans. It will be the first time I really don't mind Target Center being Laker fan-heavy, because it is simply the last night fans will get to see Kobe in action in downtown Minneapolis. 

Anyway, here's what you need to know for tonight's game.

What: Wolves vs Lakers 
Where: Target Center. Minneapolis, Minnesota.
When: 7:00pm CST
Where to watch: Fox Sports North
Where to listen: 830 WCCO Radio

What to watch for:

We need Bjelica!: Old Belly needs to return. We saw it in the first half of Monday's game, with him scoring 9 points and the first half. With him being one of the best shooters on the team, he can't be reluctant to shoot. Ever. When he's on (from a shooting standpoint) and confident in his game, the offense flows much better than when he's on the court. A big part of the Wolves success at the beginning of the season was because they were getting contributions from a lot of players. Bjelica was one of them. In conclusion, the Wolves need PBS to return to form. 

Lakers are simply a mess: Their leading score is Kobe, who is averaging just 16.2 points per game, on 30% shooting, which is pretty awful. Byron Scott is either brainwashed or controlled by management and has to do and say whatever they tell him. Two things they got going for them: D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. Russell is averaging 10.9ppg, 4.6rpg, and 3apg. Randle is their leading rebounder, with 9.3rpg. He also averages 11.8ppg. Look to see if they can give LAL a boost off the bench tonight. 

Towns 3 pointer: In Minnesota's last 5 games, Town has taken 9 threes and made 6 of them. That's 66% 3pt shooting, from our center!!! Is it a sign of things to come? Will it soon become a key weapon in his offensive arsenal? Time will tell. 

Team leaders

Minnesota
Points: Andrew Wiggins (21.1)
Rebounds: Karl-Anthony Town (9.1)
Assists: Ricky Rubio (8.4)
Steals: Ricky Rubio (1.9)
Blocks: Karl-Anthony Town (2.2)

Los Angeles 
Points: Kobe Bryant (16.2)
Rebounds: Julius Randle (9.3)
Assists: Kobe Bryant (3.3)
Steals: Kobe Bryant (1.1)
Blocks: Roy Hibbert (2)

Projected Starters

Minnesota
PG: Ricky Rubio
SG: Kevin Martin
SF: Andrew Wiggins
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Karl-Anthony Towns

Los Angeles
PG: Louis Williams
SG: Jordan Clarkson
SF: Kobe Bryant
PF: Larry Nance Jr.
C: Roy Hibbert

Injury Report

Minnesota

OUT: Nikola Pekovic (achilles)

Los Angeles 

Has not yet been reported

Alrighty, that is all. Wolves should and need to win this game. Wiggins and Kobe should be fun. I'm predicting a 105-93 Timberwolves win.

Thanks for reading. Have a good one. ​