Game-Time Chat: Timberwolves @ Lakers

The Lakers were devastated yesterday with the sad news that Kobe Bryant is out for 6 weeks (possibly longer). The injuries have completely mounted up for the Lakers, forcing them to sign former Tar Heel Kendall Marshall and try to salvage yet another talented, but struggling former lottery pick. As it is, the Lakers have Marshall as the only active point guard; Jodie Meeks will slide back into the starting line up at shooting guard and the Lakers will probably have to play Shawne Williams at small forward, while giving playing time to Mike D'Antoni's choice of Chris Kaman or Ryan Kelly to slot along side of Robert Sacre in the low post.

It's a bad situation for a struggling team, though the positive news is a higher draft pick in this upcoming, very talented draft. Nonetheless, the Lakers must prepare tonight for the Timberwolves, who have the league's best power forward in Kevin Love. Love has a ridiculous line of 25.2 points, a league-leading 13.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, and has a sky-high 27.3 PER. He's a handful, as he brings astonishing versatility out of a big man, being able to hit the three point shot at a high clip (38.7%), while still having one of the most refined post games in the NBA. Minnesota also has one of the strongest centers in the league in the bruising Nikola Pekovic, who has one of the better post games in the league and sports averages of 16.6 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, effectively making him and Love the best big man duo in the league.

On the perimeter, the Timberwolves have Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio running the show; Rubio is an excellent passer and will give pin point passes in tight spaces, so the Lakers need to be aware of his teammates at all times, and limit the amount of dribble penetration Rubio generates. Rubio is a poor outside shooter, so the Lakers should look to sag off of Rubio, while sticking tight to his teammates. Newest addition Kevin Martin has been a revelation for them, as he is shooting the lights out, averaging over 20 points per game with a 40% three point percentage. The Lakers will need to close out on him and force him to dribble into traffic and make bad decisions.

Overall, the Lakers will have to try to out-gun one of the better offensive teams in the NBA; they will need to play solid defense, force turnovers and convert them into points. Minnesota averages a shade over 14 turnovers, so the Lakers will need to be on their game defensively. On offense, three point shooting will be the key to this game; if the Lakers can hit a few shots from out there, it should give Pau Gasol ample space to work on Love or Pekovic. Minnesota may be one of the top offensive teams out there, but there's a reason why they are only 13-13 and that is poor defensive execution. Look for L.A. to move the ball well and to run pick and rolls whenever possible.