No matter what they did, LeBron James, Luka Doncic and JJ Redick had no answer for Anthony Edwards and his 2025 Timberwolves. That included working the refs… but that didn’t stop the Lakers from begging for calls all series long.

Early and often, both LA stars were sprawled out on the floor OR limping around holding a body part like it’s on the verge of falling off OR (my personal favorite) standing in shock with arms up in the air as if they just witnessed a murder.

LeBron James wasn’t faking injury vs Minnesota Timberwolves?

That brings us to late in game five, when LeBron James — who was on defense — floated towards the the top of the key where suddenly collided Donte DiVincenzo, who was on his way across the court to set a zone screen for Julius Randle, spotting up from three.

As he usually does, James went down in a heap, where he laid on the ground for minutes, as though his soul had just been snatched from his body. For most of us, it was just LeBron being LeBron. But apparently, he did sprain his MCL on the play.

During Game 5 of the Timberwolves/Lakers series, LeBron James reportedly suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee from this collision with Donte DiVincenzo pic.twitter.com/rSe8NPREG1

— Wolves Lead (@TWolvesLead) May 2, 2025

“James, who has played in an NBA-record 292 playoff games without missing one because of injury, assuredly would have had that streak snapped if L.A. were playing Game 6 in Minneapolis on Friday night.”

Dave McMenamin – ESPN

Per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, LeBron James’ MRI revealed a Grade 2 MCL sprain, stemming from his collision with DiVincenzo. That sort of injury generally requires 3-5 weeks to fully heal. With the Lakers eliminated from the playoffs, LeBron will have all the time he needs to get that knee back to full strength.

Related: MN Timberwolves President Pushes Back Against Rumors

James finished the final 7:23 of game five, but according to McMenamin, his record 292-straight playoff games streak would have been snapped, had the Los Angeles Lakers forced a game 6 vs the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It’s unfortunate that James suffered an injury on the play. However, he has so often made it a question as to whether or not he is actually hurt, that even his teammates continued to play on around him after the MCL sprain we discussing.

LeBron was peeking to make sure they were bringing out the stretcher pic.twitter.com/fEK3TNfJ0m

— Jack Leverentz (@Bossman_10K) April 24, 2025

LeBron shouldn’t be surprised that nobody thought he was actually hurt on the play (including his own teammates). Hell, the NBA created rules against flopping because players like James and others have exploited the tendencies of referees to call fouls for veteran superstars.

Timberwolves had Luka Doncic begging for sympathy too

While James actually suffered an injury, there was none to be reported for Luka Doncic. He went to the locker room briefly in game five, and announcers suggested a back injury akin to someone needing a wheelchair. Like LeBron, it’s difficult to evaluate while you’re always embellishing something.

Former Minnesota Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverly didn’t hold back on calling out Doncic. The talented scorer still finished with a team-high 28 points on 7-of-18 shooting. He probably was hurting a bit, but his ego may have been the greatest problem against the Timberwolves.

Pat Bev says Luka was FAKING his back injury

(via @PatBevPod) pic.twitter.com/hHUUMJGKH6

— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) May 2, 2025

Luka has made a career of whining to referees. Minnesota fans saw it last year against the Dallas Mavericks, and they had to weather the storm this time around against Los Angeles.

It’s not as simple as suggesting that Doncic should lay off the fast food and get in shape. Then again, a player that talented has no reason to be as much of a conditioning liability as he is. The postgame show, led by Charles Barkley, took him to task in that regard.

Related: What We Learned About the MN Timberwolves in Series Clinching Win Over Lakers

Maybe the Lakers will be back, but they’ll need to rework the roster and continue to find the fountain of youth for LeBron. Here’s to hoping he heals well and Doncic grows up.

"LeBron don't play defense anymore. Luka can't guard a chair." – Charles Barkley pic.twitter.com/TRtDTV7WoZ

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 1, 2025

J.J. Reddick pulled a Tom Thibodeau on Sunday and used just his five starters for the entire second half. James and Doncic have played out of their minds for most of this series, yet they cannot keep up with Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, who have one of the deepest rosters in the league.

Kendrick Perkins says Minnesota Timberwolves have the better star

In the Timberwolves 116-113 victory on Sunday Anthony Edwards poured in 43 points while shooting 52% from the field. Former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins made his performance a talking point on First Take Monday. He sees a clear advantage for Minnesota over the Lakers and Luka.

“Ant is a better all-around basketball player than Luka Doncic." – @KendrickPerkins

pic.twitter.com/22u4m5axgL

— GopherHole.com (@GopherHole) April 28, 2025

“Watching the 4th quarter [in game 4], I saw what Nico Harrison was talking about when it comes down to why he traded Luka. He traded Luka because he felt the Dallas Mavericks were not going to be able to win a championship with Luka.

I didn’t feel that way watching the game, looking at Anthony Edwards. I’m saying to myself, Anthony Edwards is going to win a championship before Luka Doncic. Anthony Edwards is built different. Anthony Edwards is a better all-around basketball player than Luka Doncic.

Now, I could come here and blame JJ Redick, rightfully so, for the minutes he played LeBron James at 40 years old. But like I said, Luka is young. He should have been able to play those 24 minutes straight. Anthony Edwards did, and Anthony Edwards thrived in those minutes.

When I look at what he’s done, and what he’s doing, not only did he send [Kevin Durant] home last year, he sent (Nikola) Jokic home last year. He’s now about to send LeBron and Luka home this season, because [the Wolves] are going to win this series. And think about this for a second, in the next round he could possibly be facing Steph Curry.”

Kendrick Perkins – First Take

While the Lakers were still licking their wounds from the comeback defeat by Minnesota on Sunday, it was head coach J.J. Reddick whining about a no-call at the podium. Doncic stepped on the foot of Jaden McDaniels and lost the ball.

Lakers and their fans can keep crying

Anthony Edwards was also given key free throws as the result of LeBron James hacking him on the wrist. The future Hall of Famer said that the hand should be part of the ball. That probably excludes the wrist. Of course, all this this has LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Lakers fans, Dallas Cowboys fans, and New York Yankees fans all big mad.

They’re even mad at Anthony Edwards for his blunt physicality against LeBron in game four. But really, they’re upset at their imminent reality. They cannot hang with the Wolves. They know it… and Ant knows it. But just in case, he’s been letting them know verbally too, something that NBA pundits like Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins cannot get enough of.

This is not basketball pic.twitter.com/wwfE3HkzUw

— Per Sources (@PerSources) April 27, 2025

“This man is just built different. He defends his ass off. He wanted smoke with LeBron. He wanted smoke with Luka, that’s what I like, he wanted smoke with Austin Reeves. I look at Anthony Edwards and I say, that is a top five player in the game today. TODAY!

If I’m starting a franchise, yes we know we have Jokic, we have Giannis, we have those guys. But dammit, you better not overlook Anthony Edwards.”

Kendrick Perkins – First Take

While a player like Luka is capable of stuffing the stat sheet every night out, his mentality and dedication to being a well-rounded basketball player is not the same as Anthony Edwards’. Don’t get me wrong, Ant has plenty of growing up to do, both on and off the court, but at 23 years old, his killer mindset is different.

Doncic has made a career of overshadowing his incredible skill set with laziness on defense and constant whining to officials. There’s no doubt a team can win with Luka, but as Perkins points out, they’ll have to overcome what he isn’t, in order to make it happen. And this Lakers team is not good enough to do that.

Related: Anthony Edwards Disciplined for Bragging About His ‘Size Advantage’ in LA

If you aren’t aware that Anthony Edwards is a star you haven’t been paying attention. Whether he wants the title or not, he is (or will soon become) the new face of the NBA. The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski put it eloquently saying, “Time to stop asking why Edwards does not want to be the future face of the league and start asking, how can he not be?”

Stephen A. Smith showers Anthony Edwards with praise

It seems like a lifetime ago when questions about Anthony Edwards’ desire to play basketball surrounded his draft status. Those questions are dead. Anthony Edwards is box office, as First Take star Stephen A. Smith likes to say. But on ESPN Monday, he took it to another level, doubling down on Kendrick Perkins’ praise, calling

“Anthony Edwards is a 200 million dollar player playin like he broke”
💪😤

Via @FirstTake pic.twitter.com/WtOEd8MKZM

— The Daily Wolves (@TheDailyWolves) April 28, 2025

“This brother, after taking [the Wolves] to the conference finals and getting smoked by Luka, is not only smoking Luka, he’s smoking LeBron too. With LeBron doing his thing, still it’s not enough! You just said it Windy, the best player in this series, with LeBron and Luka on the basketball court, is a 23-year-old with a $200+ million contract playing like he’s broke… playing like ‘I want this. I’m taking them out’.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again. He is a shark in blood-infested waters. Yeah, I think this series is going to go back to Minnesota. But make no mistake, he’s coming to take them out in LA. He wants to ruin tinseltown for them all summer long. Antman is coming. I’m sorry, he’s arrived.”

Stephen A. Smith – First Take

Edwards is clearly fueled by the competitive fire. He may have a lighthearted attitude behind the microphone, but every passionate quote or dagger on the court reflects a player willing to win at any cost, something that national pundits are starting to see firsthand.

Related: Rapper Drake Betting BIG on the MN Timberwolves

This Timberwolves team didn’t experience the same level of certainty of the one that reached the Western Conference Finals last season. Edwards has his group clicking on all cylinders right now though, and regardless of what odds may say, betting against them seems like a losing proposition.

Whether it’s the Warriors, Steph Curry, and the clown known as Draymond Green, or another opponent in the next round, Edwards will be the best player on the court, and the only superstar entering his prime.

After LA acquired Luka Doncic at the trade deadline, the NBA world saw the tandem between him and LeBron James as too much star power that the Wolves to handle. Of course, that’s all pre-series chatter. Nobody knows what is going to happen in a playoff series until games are actually played.

The MN Timberwolves proved that tonight. Sure, Anthony Edwards is the only player on the Wolves roster who will ever be mentioned in the same sentence as either Doncic or James. It was up to Minnesota to prove that their “secondary” talent could make up for the discrepancy at the top of the depth chart.

What we learned about the Minnesota Timberwolves in game one

Of course, that didn’t negate what the Timberwolves need from Edwards in this series. There’s a reason he’s looked at as the next face of the league. Playing against two of the biggest stars in the NBA, and arguably the greatest player of all time, this series is his chance to take the LA spotlight for himself.

After riding the wave his teammates created during the first three quarters, Anthony Edwards did just that in the fourth and the Minnesota Timberwolves upset the Los Angeles Lakers 117-95 to take game one of this spotlight series. Here’s what we learned about the Wolves and their chances to win this first round set.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are too deep for the LA Lakers

Both Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic went to the bench at the start of the second quarter. At that point, the Lakers had jumped out to an early 28-21 lead, entering the second quarter, both Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic went to the bench. What happened next may have been like looking into a keyhole into the rest of this series.

With Luka on the bench and LeBron James struggling to assert himself offensively (more on that momentarily), the Wolves bench started to show off its depth, scoring 15 of the game’s next 17 points to take a 35-30 lead with 8:52 remaining. It wouldn’t get much better for the Lakers from there, either.

Related: Experts are Wrong: Lakers Don’t Have the Talent to Hang with Timberwolves

Behind the hot outside shooting of — not Anthony Edwards — but Naz Reid (17 points) and Jaden McDaniels (19 points), the Minnesota Timberwolves pushed their lead all the way to 11 points by the end of the first half, then up past 20 points midway through the third quarter.

HOLLYWOOD NAZ. 📸 pic.twitter.com/cWGC9mDbN7

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 20, 2025

Eventually, LeBron James got going for the Lakers, but he didn’t score his first points until well into the second quarter. With 6:27 remaining in the 3rd, the Wolves had pushed their lead all the way to 26 points. Ant had 14 of them, the rest of his team had 66.

LA, meanwhile, had just 21 of their 56 points scored by players not named Luka Doncic or LeBron James. As I predicted before this series started, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ depth is going to be a huge problem for the Los Angeles Lakers in this series.

When the dust settled, Reid contributed 23, McDaniels 25. Julius Randle added 16, Donte DiVincenzo 9, Mike Mike Conley 9 and Nickeil Alexander-Walker another 7 points. Outside of their big three (James, Doncic and Reeves), no Laker posted more than 9 points (Rui Hachimura). Nobody else scored more than 5, and that came from Dalton Knecht’s 3 minutes of mop up time.

The Timberwolves are too big for the Lakers

All of the national media pundits entered this series talking about the Minnesota Timberwolves size as if it was going to hurt them against the perimeter threesome of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves.

But just like we found out in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, when they swept the Phoenix Suns, the Wolves have answers both offensively and defensively, when opponents try to go small on them. On Saturday night, we saw that play out yet again.

The only 7-footer that the Lakers play regularly is Jaxson Hayes. And while the 24-year-old big man out of Texas started game one, he didn’t play much, limited to only 8 minutes on the evening. If LA head coach JJ Reddick can’t trust Hayes to play big minutes in this series, it could pose yet another huge problem for the Lakers.

👌👌👌 pic.twitter.com/OYPB9kihMj

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 20, 2025

BIG RU. BIG SLAM. pic.twitter.com/w8s8VQf0nl

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 20, 2025

Not only do the Wolves have size, but they have versatile size. If they need to bang down low or run screen and roll actions, Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle are two of the best in the league, depending on how you want to get the ball into the paint.

But if Minnesota needs to play “small”, enter two different types of tweener big men, Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid — both of whom are 6’9″ with wingspans that push 7-feet — that went off Saturday night for a combined 48 points, 27 (9-of-12) of which came from three-point land.

No matter how the Los Angeles Lakers try to play, the Timberwolves appear to have answers and that has to be troubling for those hoping to see a playoff run in Hollywood.

Anthony Edwards showed up when needed, but…

Let’s touch on Anthony Edwards, who had a very up-and-down game one. He started out slow, and just a reminder from earlier in this article, the Minnesota Timberwolves took control of this game while he was on the bench in the second quarter.

He went 8-of-22 on the night, and scored 22 points, coming in behind both McDaniels and Reid. On Saturday, the Wolves didn’t really need Ant to be great because everyone around him played so well. And he helped everywhere else, too, grabbing 9 rebounds and dealing 8 assists.

your favorite player's favorite player. pic.twitter.com/0C49p0jnth

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 20, 2025

However, the Wolves cannot expect that to continue all series. Anthony Edwards will have to be far-and-away their best player in game two, if Minnesota is going to fly back to the Twin Cities with a 2-0 lead in this series.

Related: LA Lakers Legend Scared of the Minnesota Timberwolves for One Reason…

Still, when the Timberwolves needed a big shot — like when the Lakers went on a mini-run to end the third quarter and start the fourth — Ant was there to hit to answer the call. This, after leaving the game with cramps in the third, and being listed as “questionable” to return.

But with just under 11 minutes remaining, Edwards arrived at the scorer’s table. Immediately upon re-entry, he put a stop to the Lakers run, scoring five of the Wolves’ next 8 points and assisting on the other three.

barbecue chicken. pic.twitter.com/OGIrb2FgHb

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 20, 2025

From then on out, the game was mostly out of reach. But in game two, the Minnesota Timberwolves will need Anthony Edwards to be ready to dominate from the tip.

Experts all picking Los Angeles Lakers over Minnesota Timberwolves

It’s that 2-on-1 Laker mismatch over the Wolves in true star power that has the big names in national NBA media almost unanimously picking the 3-seed LA Lakers to win this first round series.

A deeper dive into more expert picks at more of the mainstream sports media outlets (below) shows how little chance the national media is giving Minnesota to win this series. Out of 46 experts tallied between six different national media outlets, 40 picked the Lakers to win, only 6 picked the Timberwolves.

• ESPN – 11 of 12 experts picked Lakers to win series — (only Bontemps picked Timberwolves)
• CBS Sports – 5 of 5 experts picked Lakers to win series
• BetMGM (The Athletic) – 6 of 7 experts picked Lakers to win series
• Yahoo Sports – 6 of 7 experts picked Lakers to win series
• USA Today Sports – 4 of 4 experts picked Lakers to win series
• NBA.com/TNT – 8 of 11 experts picked Lakers to win series

So what gives, are the Minnesota Timberwolves really that outmatched in this series? A look beyond the stars makes you wonder if these “experts” really dug into this series at all.

Lakers lack talent behind big three

Because once you get beyond LeBron, Luka and their extremely talented third-wheel, Austin Reeves (20.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.8 APG), there isn’t another player on roster that most NBA fans could pick out in a lineup of random six to seven-footers. Below is a table of Lakers contributors who will get big minutes in round one vs the Timberwolves.

Just like I left Reeves off, along with Doncic and James, you will not find the Timberwolves’ other two max players, Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle (or Edwards) on the table either. These are “the other” players both teams will be relying on in this series.

As you can see, the Minnesota Timberwolves have three other players — Jaden McDaniels, Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid — averaging above 10 points per game this season. That doesn’t include Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who is averaging 9.4 points per game.

That’s seven Wolves players who averaged over 9 points per game this season, most of them names that are recognizable in the NBA world. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers have only one player — Rui Hachimura — averaging double-digit points, outside of LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Related: LA Lakers Legend Scared of the Minnesota Timberwolves for One Reason…

Behind those four, Dorian Finney-Smith’s 7.9 PPG is the highest average scorer. Nobody else on the Lakers roster is responsible for more than 7 points per game in 2024-25. Many of the others didn’t even see the floor prior to the shocking blockbuster trade that landed Doncic in LA.

MN Timberwolves have proven they can dominate with size

The Minnesota Timberwolves proved last season, in a first round sweep of the Phoenix Suns, that not only can they play with small-ball lineups, but they can use their enormous size advantage to completely dominate them inside.

In order for the Lakers to win this series, LeBron James will have to be money from deep, because the Wolves are going to make it next to impossible for him to get into the paint with Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert down low supervising things. In all honesty, I do not believe LeBron and the Lakers are ready for the intensity Minnesota is going to bring defensively.

Minnesota Timberwolves outstanding team defense pic.twitter.com/nCaaNffUWk

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) March 13, 2025

Sure, LeBron james is arguably the greatest player of all time and he has certainly improved his outside shot in recent seasons, but the self-proclaimed “King” shot a “meh” 37% from three this year (34.9% career).

That’s not saying this won’t be a very competitive series. Luke and LeBron will make sure of that. But as long as Antyhony Edwards plays like the superstar he is and the Minnesota Timberwolves are able to use their size and depth to their advantage, I just cannot see this paper-thin Lakers roster hanging with the Wolves in a seven-game series.

Prediction: Timberwolves in 6

But that’s not the case anymore, not with Anthony Edwards in Minnesota, one season removed from a run to the Western Conference Finals. This year, you will see the Wolves play tonight, and again on Christmas, etc. If it’s a marquee day of matchups for the NBA, you can expect the Timberwolves to be involved.

Oddsmakers doubting the Minnesota Timberwolves vs Los Angeles Lakers

The Wolves have the 2nd best odds to win the Western Conference, as of today (+500). Their opponent, the Los Angeles Lakers have the 7th best odd (+1800). But tonight, even though both teams are fully stocked, oddsmakers have Wolves vs Lakers as pretty much a pick-em. Well, not anymore.

As of 1:15 PM, Minnesota is a -1 point favorite at all major sportsbooks. ESPN Bet has them as 1.5 point favorites, a number that has held for days. The same cannot be said at FanDuel, where you could get the Timberwolves as +1 point underdogs this morning. Yes, underdogs. I actually snuck that one in (oh good for me).

No way the Lakers beat the Wolves… right?

Let’s put aside the fact that this line has been so fluid throughout the day, Tuesday. This is either a trap game, or the easiest money that Minnesota Timberwolves fans will make all year. If Anthony Edwards and the new-look Wolves walk into crypto.com Arena tonight and lay an egg vs the Lakers… I will worry about the rest of this season.

Related: When Anthony Edwards Switches to Football He’s Playing Defense

Remember, the Lakers have a new head coach and plan on playing Bronny James off the bench. I just cannot imagine a legitimate reality where an aging Lebron James, JJ Redick and the Lakers outduel Chris Finch, Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight. But I have been wrong before so don’t listen to me. This article is not betting advice.

LeBron James remains among the best players in the NBA, even at nearly 40 years old. The Los Angeles Lakers want to believe they are title favorites, and they have both LeBron and Anthony Davis so you can’t completely rule it out. But in 2024-25, the it’s the Timberwolves who are expected to have the better team this season.

A big part of the difference between squads is bench depth. The Wolves are so deep, they have legit rotation players who won’t see the floor. For the Lakers, they have Lebron James’ son, Bronny James.

Bronny James will play tonight vs Minnesota Timberwolves

It has been a terribly kept secret for some time that LeBron wanted to play in the NBA with his son, who scuffled through a freshman season at USC that began with a cardiac arrest incident that nearly cost him his life. Nonetheless, the Lakers spent a 2nd round draft pick on Bronny, not because of his dad… they claimed.

On Tuesday night, also not because of his dad, surely, ESPN’s new NBA insider Shams Charania reports that Bronny will get playing time tonight for the Los Angeles Lakers, next to his father. Nepotism history in the making.

“I’m told it’s very likely, and the Lakers plan that LeBron James, Bronny James make history as the first father-son duo to be on the court at the same time, and likely to come early in the game as long as it’s competitive and it’s a flowing game as far as where the Lakers are at early on in that game. I think that’s going to be very important. The Lakers want to allow this to happen during the flow of the game in a competitive environment. JJ Redick said on Monday that here is no plan finalized yet for both of them to play together on opening night, but this is something the Lakers have spent a lot of time discussing internally. It’s never happened in the NBA before, may never, likely never happen again. You think about LeBron James in Year 22, he’s really spoken this into existence. He’s been talking about it for the last several years and now it is on the cusp of happening as soon as tonight.”

Shams Charania on LeBron and Bronny James being on the court together (Sportscenter)

This has been a collision course coming down the tracks for quite some time. Bronny was never drafted to go to the G League, and LeBron stayed in Los Angeles to ensure he played with his oldest son. Does Bronny deserve that playing time. Probably not.

The younger James has struggled mightily during preseason action, averaging just 4.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game, to go with 1.2 turnovers. This preseason, the Lakers were -10 in point differential, with Bronny James on the court.

Related: Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards Makes Top 10 Debut in NBA Rankings

Shams is not the only insider suggesting that Bronny will make his NBA debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst is hearing the same things and put a timeframe on the action as well.

“I would expect, as long as the game is going okay, be in your seat at the start of the 2nd quarter.”

— Brian Windhorst hints at Bronny playing tonight 👀

(h/t @ClutchPoints) pic.twitter.com/NNKUoX9Hcx

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 22, 2024

All of the theatrics and moments will be shining on the Lakers, once action gets underway on Tuesday night. Of course, the Minnesota Timberwolves are in LA tonight to rain on the nepotism parade. Anthony Edwards is a real contender to win MVP and he’s going to want to cement himself into that conversation on national TV, opening night, with all eyes on LeBron and Bronny.

Related: Justin Jefferson + Anthony Edwards Throwback Reshoot Photos are Finally Here

Despite multiple efforts, many teams throughout the NBA have been denied the ability to put Bronny through a proper workout. His agency has only allowed him to work out for the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns thus far.

According to Draft Express’s Jonathan Givony, the Timberwolves are one of five teams interested in selecting Bronny… but there are complications.

Rich Paul says in addition to the Lakers and Suns, there are three other teams showing interest in Bronny James:

-Minnesota at 37, "but I don't know who their owner will be"
-Dallas at 58, "Nico Harrison is like an uncle to Bronny"
-Toronto at 31 "Masai loves Bronny" https://t.co/uQIOHV6o43

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 19, 2024

While James is nowhere near the basketball prospect that his father was, he has generated a strong amount of hype for a player who started just six of 25 games for the USC Trojans.

Related: “Well-Positioned NBA Source” Confident Glen Taylor Will Win Timberwolves Ownership Battle

Then again, Zach LaVine started just one game in his UCLA Bruins career, and the former Flip Saunders draft pick still became a two-time All-Star. As for Bronny, he’s viewed as a second-round prospect.

Minnesota Timberwolves would love to draft Bronny James, but…

For the Minnesota Timberwolves, that fits perfectly, considering their two draft selections come at 27 and 37, when the NBA Draft starts next Wednesday.

KSTP insider Darren Wolfson can attest to the Timberwolves’ “definite” interest in Bronny. Unfortunately, he makes it very clear that there’s no chance Bronny will actually be drafted by the Wolves, let alone agree to a private workout.

Why? Because Bronny James doesn’t want to play in Minnesota. Or, as Wolfson put it so eloquently, the Timberwolves “aren’t in his plans”.

Definite #Timberwolves interest. Also a darn near lock that Bronny isn’t landing here and not working out here. Also told whether it’s Glen or Marc + Alex, ownership doesn’t matter. #WolvesBack https://t.co/iqlxueSJLw

— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) June 19, 2024

Minnesota isn’t in his plans. Wolves understand, wouldn’t burn a bridge when liking plenty of other prospects.

— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) June 19, 2024

Well, that was fun while it lasted.

While Bronny may be a tantalizing prospect, as the son of a basketball icon, and he’s still considered very raw as a 19-year-old athlete. In all reality, the Timberwolves could probably get better production from other players on their radar, especially in the short term.

After voices such as Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins expressed their belief in the Timberwolves’ chances at winning it all, basketball legend LeBron James is now weighing in too.

LeBron and JJ Reddick recently launched a new podcast, “Mind the Game“, and James took the opportunity in their most recent episode (dropped this morning) to reveal his thoughts on the Minnesota Timberwolves and why they are going to be hard for any team to beat.

LeBron James on what makes Minnesota Timberwolves so good

What advantage do the Timberwolves have, or how could they create one? LeBron was quick with his answer. It’s their length and willingness to play defense.

LeBron James was asked about how the Timberwolves have an advantage. @realmnsportsfan

👇 pic.twitter.com/oHOgvhtfze

— Ezra Greenman (@GreenmanEzra) May 8, 2024

“I think one of Minnesota’s obvious advantages, which they have in our league in general, no matter if it’s versus Denver or versus anybody, is the length that they have at the wing positions. You know, you don’t look at Mike Conley as a tall guy, but his length, he has a lot of length out there. Obviously, Anthony Edwards has a lot of length. Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Naz Reed, Kyle Anderson—they just continue to barrage you with length, length, length, and then guys that also know how to play too.

So, you know, that’s been their biggest advantage because they’ve bought into Coach Finch’s defensive schemes or whoever the defensive coordinator is there. I don’t want to speculate on whatever the case may be, but he’s the guy at the helm, the coaching staff, and those guys have bought into the defensive end like, and it’s not only that they’ve bought into the defensive end, they’ve got guys that want to defend and make their mark on the game.”

LeBron James – Mind the Game

LeBron highlights the importance of size repeatedly, while also praising Coach Finch and his coaching staff for successfully instilling a strong defensive mindset in the team. Their efforts have garnered admiration from numerous basketball fans.

Related: Nuggets Coach Mike Malone Foreshadowed Denver’s Game 2 Collapse vs Timberwolves

Throughout the NBA regular season, the Timberwolves have consistently showcased their defensive prowess, emerging as the top defensive team with a league leading defensive rating of 108.4. In comparison, the Boston Celtics trail closely behind in second place with a rating of 110.6.

With the playoffs now airing on national television, fans worldwide are getting a firsthand look at the Timberwolves’ defensive dominance and understanding why they have been such a force to reckon with.

If he can make the cut, Ant would join a star-studded American cast determined to squash talk around international basketball community that Team USA may no longer be the once-dominant force that “Dream Teams” of years past built them into.

Anthony Edwards appears poised to make star-studded Team USA Olympic roster

The likes of Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, and Jayson Tatum are anticipated to lead the superteam representing Team USA. As per Shams Charania of The Athletic, Tyrese Halliburton, who partnered with Edwards last summer, is also under consideration as a possible addition to the team this summer.

In addition to the seven bona fide heavyweights listed above, budding superstars Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton, two members of the USA’s 2023 World Cup team, are under strong consideration for the Paris Games, those same sources said.

Shams Charania – The Athletic

No players have been confirmed yet, but all of the players listed above have publicly committed to playing if they get picked. Veterans like Kevin Durant and LeBron James have publicly expressed their desire to join the team and clearly see this as their last run in the Olympics before they pass the torch to Anthony Edwards and the other blossoming stars across the league.

Related: Charles Barkley Would Give Anthony Edwards the Twin Cities and All Three MN Lakes…?

Former Piston great, Grant Hill, works as Team USA’s general manager and Sean Ford is his right-hand man. Just like at the World Cup, Steve Kerr will coach the team. It would be incredibly exciting to witness Anthony Edwards competing in the Olympics alongside superstars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry as they pursue a gold medal for Team USA.

Watching Anthony Edwards sport the red, white, and blue with the “USA” stitched across his chest last summer was special. Will we see it again in the summer games? We’ll soon find out.. (but it sounds like the answer is yes).

ANTHONY EDWARDS OH MY GOODNESS 🤯#USABMNT vs. Germany on FOX pic.twitter.com/2rkOTlv9Pu

— NBA (@NBA) August 20, 2023

Anthony Edwards goes to work in the second half 👀#FIBAWC x #WinForUSA pic.twitter.com/yyJHSx0bhM

— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 🏆 (@FIBAWC) September 1, 2023

Related: Anthony Edwards Credits Timberwolves Win to Rudy Gobert Cussing Out Teammates at Halftime

Both guys have brought a level of professionalism off the court and defensive accountability on the court that has unlocked the true talents of Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns. Conley wasn’t just the key to unlocking Gobert, he was the key to unlocking the entire team.

Rudy Gobert makes LeBron James, Steph Curry level impact?

But when asked by NBA insider Mark Medina (Sportskeeda, Sportsnaut, FOX Sports Radio) about his friend Rudy Gobert and why he was snubbed from the All-Star game, Conley said it’s disappointing to see the league dismissing Rudy because he is the one who makes the Wolves go. That Rudy makes just as big of an impact on winning as, wait for it, LeBron James and Steph Curry.

“I think he’s not treated like a superstar because he doesn’t do the superstar things, offensively, that LeBron [James] and Steph [Curry] do. But he has the same impact on a game. People gameplan for him like they gameplan for others. You gameplan differently for Steph as you do for somebody else. But with Rudy, you do have to gameplan for his gravity offensively. If he goes to the offensive glass, they’re bringing two or three people. Knowing the film session, they are saying, ‘You got to box out. All three of us have to be there. We have to be in the paint.’

Mark Medina – Sportskeeda

Is Mike Conley crazy?

At face value, we might see fans and players across the league lose their minds over a comment like this one. Conley comparing Rudy Gobert to LeBron and Steph may seem insane to casuals.

Related: Rudy Gobert Says He’s a Hall of Famer, Is He Right?

But in reality, Gobert brings such an insane improvement to the Minnesota Timberwolves’ defense and rebounding, not to mention the maturity and accountability he brings to the locker room, that it’s impossible to deny the effect he has on winning.

Fuck it, Rudy Gobert Perimeter Defense highlights pic.twitter.com/KopSGY38Lh

— Ev (@EvInFour) February 13, 2024

In fact, you could argue that in 2024, he has a greater impact on winning than Steph and LeBron, because neither of their teams are winning at near the level of the Wolves. While Minnesota sits atop the West, it’s the Lakers and Warriors who are struggling to remain in the play-in tournament conversation.