The LA Lakers will be entering the playoffs once more after finishing as the third seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers face the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, who reached the Western Conference Finals last year, in the first round.
Ahead of the playoffs, longtime NBA analyst Bill Simmons, a Boston Celtics superfan, has floated worries about the Lakers’ playoff whistle advantages. On the Zach Lowe Show, Simmons believes the Lakers have an unfair advantage in terms of getting more calls, especially in a playoff setting.
“You’re playing the Lakers in a playoff series. You’re just not going to get as many calls as them. It’s just a fact,” Simmons said of the Timberwolves’ chances against LA. “(LeBron) and Luka are two of the hardest guys to officiate for different reasons.” (from 1:09:32)
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The Lakers are third in the league in free throw attempts per game, according to NBA.com, shooting 23.2 attempts per game, just 0.1 percentage point shy of the top spot. They also have a history of controversial games, bannered by their 2022 Western Conference conquest against the Sacramento Kings, which has been a topic of conspiracy theories among fans.
Nevertheless, the Lakers are expected to lean on their two superstars, LeBron James and Luka Doncic, two of the best all-around players in the league. James is averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists this season, while Doncic is putting up 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game for the Lakers.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves will rely on Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert to stop the Lakers.
Minnesota should irritate Luka Doncic to win series against Lakers, suggests Bill Simmons
The Minnesota Timberwolves have a tall task ahead of them as they look to contain Luka Doncic and LeBron James in the playoffs. For Bill Simmons, on the Zach Low show, the way to stop Doncic in his tracks is to irritate him and make him agitated on the court.
“If I was Minnesota … I would say, less (Mike) Conley, and f**k with Luka every game. Just try to agitate him,” Simmons said.
“I don’t mean to f**k him, and he is going to play badly. He gets caught up on it. He is still not mature as a player. He does not like when people talk back to him.” (from 1:10:06)
Doncic, when he was still with the Dallas Mavericks last year, took down the Timberwolves in the Western Conference to reach his first NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics.
As they meet once more this year, the Timberwolves have a chance to avenge last season’s loss, albeit on Doncic’s new team.
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Edited by Bhargav
