Not Anthony Edwards or Julius Randle, ex-NBA star predicts Lakers vs Timberwolves playoffs X-Factor

The LA Lakers finished the regular season as the third seed in the Western Conference and will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. The series is expected to be fiery as two of the best young players in the league, Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards, hop in on another series, with Doncic having a new cast surrounding him.

However, for former NBA player Marcus Morris Sr., Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves’ defensive anchor and center, will be the x-factor in the series against the Lakers. Morris said the series will come down to Gobert’s willingness to give up minutes whenever necessary and how he could still be an effective defender when the Lakers try to go small-ball against him.

“I think it comes down to Rudy Gobert. Now listen, guys are going small, right? How would Rudy take not being able to play in those crucial moments? Add LeBron James to the five to spread the floor against Rudy Gobert,” Morris said on Monday during ESPN’s Get Up.

Morris then expressed Gobert’s weaknesses as a defender while teasing a potential isolation matchup against the Lakers’ Doncic, who led the Dallas Mavericks last year to a Western Conference Finals win against the Timberwolves.

“He knows one way, and every time someone drives, he comes to the basket, opening up corner threes, and opening up spacing. Iso time against Luka Doncic? I don't think [Rudy] wants to see that,” he added.

Gobert, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year winner, finished the regular season with averages of 12.0 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.

After reaching the conference finals last year, the Timberwolves finished the season in the sixth spot with a 49-33 record, barely avoiding the play-in tournament. In the past offseason, Minnesota traded former franchise player Karl Anthony-Towns for Julius Randle from the Knicks, shaking up both rosters for this season.

Rudy Gobert believes the Timberwolves are stronger than ever

The Minnesota Timberwolves won 17 of their last 21 games to sneak into the playoffs as the sixth-seeded team. As they set to face the Lakers, Rudy Gobert believes the team is stronger than ever now, as they have overcome adversity throughout the year.

“Just overcoming adversity, keep our belief in ourselves and in one another...We knew that when I got here it was a process. It was a lot of adversity and we learned how to overcome that and get better from that…We went through some adversity, but we stayed with it. I think everything that we went through as a team just got us closer together and got us, mentally, more resilient,” he said.

Gobert was traded to the Timberwolves in 2022 and has been regarded as the team’s defensive anchor since. However, the seven-foot center has been criticized for being a letdown in his playoff stint, dating back to his days with the Utah Jazz.

Gobert is expected to have a strong height advantage against the Lakers this year, as LA traded their former center, Anthony Davis, for Luka Doncic last February.