By Matija Šerić
The Elimination of the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the NBA Playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves came as a major surprise. Beyond the premature exit, what stands out is the fact that the Timberwolves defeated the Lakers in just five games. The convincing 4-1 series result feels extremely painful for the Lakers and triumphant for the Timberwolves. Yet, it didn’t have to—and arguably shouldn’t have—ended that way.
The Subtleties That Decided the Series
In Game 4 in Minnesota, the Lakers held the initiative until the fourth quarter. It seemed that the excellent performances of LeBron James and Luka Dončić (who combined for 65 points, with LeBron posting 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists) would level the series at 2-2. And that likely would have happened had Anthony Edwards not had an extraordinary night with 43 points, or if Austin Reaves had made the three-pointer in the final play to force overtime. However, that didn’t happen—Minnesota went up 3-1, and that proved decisive.
In Game 5, the weary Lakers trailed constantly despite Dončić giving it his all, along with a visibly fatigued LeBron. The brilliant Slovenian playmaker kept the Lakers in the game until the fourth quarter, but they couldn’t withstand the surge from the exceptional Rudy Gobert, who set personal playoff records with 27 points and an unbelievable 24 rebounds. Add to that the dominance of Julius Randle in the paint with 23 points, and it’s clear why the Timberwolves clinched Game 5.
An Unexpected Fiasco
Although many—both journalists and basketball experts—predicted in mid-April that the Lakers would go far in the playoffs (Western Conference Finals or even the NBA Finals), that didn’t happen. The Lakers were eliminated in the first round. The big trio—LeBron, Luka, and Reaves—were unable to overcome even the first hurdle. It’s important to find relevant answers to the question of why the Lakers suffered such a playoff fiasco and ended their season prematurely.
High Expectations, Poor Results
This season seemed like it could finally be a breakthrough. In the regular season, over 82 games, the Lakers secured a commendable 3rd place in the Western Conference with a 50-32 record. In a broader historical context, it’s rare for the beloved team to be eliminated in the first round. Excluding the period after their last NBA title in 2020—since then, the Lakers have often exited in the first round—this kind of early elimination hadn’t occurred often before.
The last time the Lakers were eliminated in the Western Conference quarterfinals before 2020 was in the 2012–13 season, when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs 4-0. But that wasn’t considered shameful, as LA was eliminated by a megateam led by NBA legends Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Kawhi Leonard, and Manu Ginobili. Although Minnesota’s stars like Gobert, Edwards, and Randle are excellent players, it will be a long time before they reach the level of that Spurs quartet. Still, that’s little consolation for LA.
Even though the Lakers played quality basketball throughout the season (fairly attractive for fans), it must be emphasized that the management, roster, and style of play were riddled with flaws—flaws that were often pushed aside. One could argue that both fans and analysts saw what they wanted to see, overlooking shortcomings in both the team’s sports strategy and on-court execution.
Weak Offensive Game
In the playoffs, the Lakers failed in what was supposed to be their biggest strength: offensive play. Since February, when Dončić joined the team and Anthony Davis left for Dallas, it became clear that the Lakers would try to win every game by simply outscoring their opponents. That strategy mostly worked during the regular season (they scored fewer than 105 points in only three of Dončić’s games), but it proved ineffective against Minnesota. They broke the 105-point mark only once, in an inspired Game 4 where they scored 113 points. They hit 19 three-pointers out of 47 attempts (40%) but still lost because they allowed 116 points. Despite their vast shooting talent, it was obvious throughout the series that the Lakers struggled offensively. Scoring came hard. If it weren’t for Dončić, they would have faced a complete debacle.
Tactical Misstep
They chose to go with a small-ball lineup. Head coach JJ Redick and his staff counted on the speed, technique, fakes, mobility, and excellent shooting of Dončić, Reaves, LeBron, and Hachimura to break down Minnesota’s defense. Despite their best efforts, Minnesota’s defense — led by specialists Gobert, McDaniels, and Randle (all of whom played with full commitment) — did an outstanding job. The Lakers failed to create enough space on the court and to generate as many quality shooting opportunities (especially from three) as they wanted. It became clear that Redick and his staff had made a mistake by going small. Redick admitted that he built the strategy to suit the strengths of his players. That might be true, but the outcome showed that team success required a different approach.
Voluntarily Benching Hayes – A Major Blunder
Talented young center Jaxson Hayes was deliberately sidelined. In four games, he played an average of just under 8 minutes. Altogether, he scored seven points, grabbed eight rebounds, and had one block. During the regular season, he averaged 6.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.9 blocks, and 19.5 minutes per game. After AD’s departure, Hayes remained the only true big man in LA, and instead of playing consistently, he was frequently left out — especially in the playoffs. This proved to be a fatal decision, which Hayes accepted like a true professional: “They told me… just to stay ready, and they’d be trying some other things. That was the coach’s decision, and I always respect that.” Had he played, he could have grabbed a few crucial rebounds, likely softened Gobert’s rebounding dominance in Game 5, and might have helped trigger a few fast breaks for Luka or Reaves to score quick points.
Poor Front Office Decision-Making
The Lakers’ management, led by general manager Rob Pelinka, bears responsibility for trading away defensive specialist AD and failing to bring in a proper replacement — a top-level center. The plan was to acquire center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish. However, Williams didn’t pass the medical exam, and Pelinka quickly backed out of the trade. The test results were inconclusive, and many question their legitimacy. Williams went on to have a solid remainder of the season with the Hornets. It’s undeniably the front office’s fault that they didn’t find a quality big man (especially if they didn’t trust Hayes) who could grab boards and dunk under the rim. Even LeBron acknowledged the issue of lacking height. While Pelinka pulled off the blockbuster Dončić-AD trade, its full effects will only be seen in the long term. Though Luka might elevate the Lakers, without the right supporting cast, he won’t be able to do it all on his own.
Lack of Support for Luka and LeBron
The playoffs revealed how crucial it is to have support from role players—stars can’t win on their own. Despite Minnesota’s defensive prowess, the Lakers’ offense lacked flow, particularly in ball distribution and shooting. The biggest disappointment was Reaves, from whom much was expected. He was supposed to be the one to best support LeBron and Luka. He averaged just 16.2 points and 3.6 assists in the series—too little. Rui Hachimura stepped up with 14.8 points per game, but that wasn’t enough. Forward-center Dorian Finney-Smith underperformed with 6.2 points on average, point guard Gabe Vincent (who subbed in for Dončić and Reaves) averaged only 2.8, and forward-center Jarred Vanderbilt had an even worse showing with just 1.4 points per game. It’s hard to win a series with only two players performing at the highest level.
Underwhelming Performance from the Stars
Although LeBron and Luka kept the Lakers competitive, they too played below their peak over the course of the series. A major reason was the lingering injuries from the regular season, along with new ones picked up during the playoffs. Dončić even caught a virus. The only game where both were physically at their best was Game 4, which they narrowly lost. In Game 5, LeBron injured his knee and Luka hurt his back. Reaves was reportedly dealing with a sprained toe on his left foot, possibly explaining his subpar performances in the final games. He also had prior injury issues. However, these can’t serve as full excuses for elimination. These players were on the court and must take responsibility for missed easy shots—especially Reaves.
Lack of Roster Depth
Another major issue for the Lakers was the lack of roster depth. Whether by choice or necessity, they went through the playoffs using only seven players. Around 80% of the playing time went to the starting five: LeBron, Luka, Reaves, Hachimura, and Finney-Smith. Off the bench, only Vincent and Vanderbilt averaged more than 10 minutes per game. It’s well known that an NBA playoff team needs at least eight players in regular rotation, but the Lakers neglected this. Maxi Kleber, due to injury, made his debut only in the final game against Minnesota.
The Future Awaits
The Lakers organization will have to conduct a thorough analysis of this disappointing season. What next year’s team will look like remains to be seen. All signs point to LeBron continuing his career, joined by Luka and Reaves. That’s already a solid core that desperately needs a quality center. But how the full Lakers roster will be constructed is a topic for future discussion.
Featured image: Imago/Zuma Press Wire
