The Minnesota Timberwolves made last-minute trades before the NBA preseason and now look to test it against the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night. This NBA Western Conference showdown will happen on Tuesday, October 22, inside the Crypto.com Arena in California.
TNT will be putting the game live on television at exactly 10:00 p.m. and it can also be heard through the Altitude Sports Radio 950 AM frequency. NBA League Pass subscribers have the luxury of enjoying the game through an online live stream.
Minnesota Timberwolves Vs Los Angeles Lakers: Injury Report
The Minnesota Timberwolves are entering the 2024-25 season with a clean bill of health. There were questions whether if Julius Randle will be able to play and with what is seen on the injury reports, he is good to go to face the team that drafted him.
On the other side of the fence, the Los Angeles Lakers have two big men declared as ‘out’ against the T-Wolves and they are Jarred Vanderbilt and Christina Wood. Jaxson Hayes will be the backup center for this game and the Lakers also got Christian Koloko on the roster until eighter Wood or Vanderbilt comes back.
| Player | Position | Status | Injury |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | PF | Out | Foot |
| Christian Wood | PF | Out | Knee |
Minnesota Timberwolves Vs Los Angeles Lakers: Starters and Depth Charts
The Minnesota Timberwolves look to put Julius Randle on the staring lineup while Donte DiVincenzo will be the first guard to come off the bench. Rookie pick Rob Dillingham will play more of the backup point guard behind Mike Conley to start the season.
| Position | Starters | 2nd | 3rd |
| Point Guard | Mike Conley | Rob Dillingham | Daishen Nix |
| Shooting Guard | Anthony Edwards | Donte DiVincenzo | Nikeil Alexander-Walker |
| Small Forward | Jaden McDaniels | Joe Ingles | Keita Bates-Diop |
| Power Forward | Julius Randle | Leonard Miller | PJ Dozier |
| Center | Rudy Gobert | Naz Reid | Luka Garza |
Just like what Coach JJ Redick said prior to the start of the regular season, he will be going with the stating five that is most efficient for the Lakers. This starting five will include LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura.
Rookie Bronny James should play during garbage time, as he is behind Russell for the second or third-string point guard position, depending on how they utilize Gabe Vincent. Dalton Knecht is another rookie that many Lakers fans are excited to see, and his shooting power should warrant him coming off the bench as the priority wing.
| Position | Starters | 2nd | 3rd |
| Point Guard | D’Angelo Russell | Bronny James | Jalen Hood-Schifino |
| Shooting Guard | Austin Reaves | Max Christie | Gabe Vincent |
| Small Forward | Rui Hachimura | Dalton Knecht | Cam Reddish |
| Power Forward | LeBron James | Rui Hachimura | Maxwell Lewis |
| Center | Anthony Davis | Jaxson Hayes | Christian Koloko |
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