How the Wolves solved the Lakers defense to take Game 1

The Lakers lost Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs as the Wolves solved their defense with a 3-point barrage.

The palpable excitement for the Lakers’ first Game 1 at home since 2012 faded swiftly on Saturday. An early eight-point first-quarter lead for L.A. vanished as Minnesota took control in the second quarter, leading by 11 at halftime and as much as 27 in the third en route to a comfortable win.

A primary reason was the number of wide-open threes that L.A. surrendered defensively. In their previous matchup, albeit with the Wolves missing key rotation pieces, Minnesota shot just 12-41 (29%) from downtown.

Not the case Saturday.

The Wolves were more than prepared for the Lakers’ defense, shooting 21-42 (50%) on 3-pointers in Game 1, including 9-12 (75%) from the corners. There are legitimate questions about whether Minnesota can shoot this well consistently throughout the series, but it’s important to note how these shots are created and how open they are.

L.A. appeared disconnected throughout the game, uncertain about where to rotate, leading to numerous instances of over-helping and being bewildered by Minnesota’s offensive attack. As demonstrated in the clip below, watch as Julius Randle is isolated in the post against LeBron James.

Jared Vanderbilt is matched up with the spacing big man Naz Reid and chooses to dig aimlessly below the free-throw line, creating a simple one-pass-away delivery.

Reid connects on his first of six triples as part of his 23 points.

This is a matchup the Lakers should trust LeBron to handle without any assistance, but L.A.’s use of center-less lineups naturally leads to a swarming style. The line between that and over-helping will be severely tested this series.

Here’s another example below: Dončić is matched up with Randle on the left wing, with Rui Hachimura switched onto Reid in the strong side corner.

As Randle drives, Dončić slides his feet to stay with him, and Hachimura completely sells out, conceding the open corner three.

Reid scores, extending the Wolves’ lead to double digits. Notice Dončić raising his hands in frustration, misunderstanding the decision to concede this shot and not trust him to maintain his defensive position.

A big storyline coming into the series was the Lakers defense against Anthony Edwards. The Lakers had some success in their previous matchup and came out with a similar game plan, hoping to once again force him to be a passer out of a switching defense.

Minnesota came prepared and made a crucial adjustment in where the attacks come from. Instead of operating on the wing, the Wolves’ head coach Chris Finch positioned Edwards at the top of the key, a place much more difficult to allocate help, while giving Ant a view of the entire floor.

In the clip below, Edwards calls up Jaden McDaniels to set the screen, getting the switch with Dončić. Los Angeles parks four players in the paint on the drive, overloading the paint, allowing for the easy pass in the corner to Randle.

The Lakers will live with a certain number of these shots, but not open ones from the corners. The idea behind this defensive scheme is to leverage against Edwards’ most deficient part of his game in his playmaking.

These reads, though, are too easy.

Here’s another example: This time, Edwards comes curling to catch the ball again at the top of the key. Austin Reaves stays attached before a quick ghost screen by Mike Conley gets Edwards going downhill.

The Lakers scrambled, resulting in Dončić this time leaving the strong side corner to open up the pass. McDaniels hits one of his three 3-pointers, leading the Wolves in scoring with 25.

Defense is inherently reactive, but the goal against superstars is to control the terms of engagement. The Lakers in Game 1 allowed Edwards not only to obtain the main switch he wanted, but also to wait until he beats his preferred defender, which he will, to react and not help in any organized manner.

Minnesota also created a number of open threes in transition as they forced the issue on any turnover or missed attempt, finishing with a commanding 25-6 advantage in fast break points.

This area illustrates where a good offense can contribute to solid defense, as the Lakers shot only 15-41 (36.6%) from 3-point range, while also missing eight shots at the rim.

As the old adage goes, a series doesn’t start until a home team loses a game. Well, this series has begun, with the Lakers unable to solve Minnesota’s offensive puzzle of 3-pointers.

L.A. will need adjustments in Game 2 to tie the series or it could be a disastrous start to the playoffs.

You can follow Raj on Twitter at @RajChipalu.