LOS ANGELES — So much of the discussion surrounding Julius Randle’s arrival in Minnesota has been to validate the reunion with coach Chris Finch and laud the new dimension his skill set brings to the Timberwolves.
Randle has spoken glowingly of the warm welcome he has received, both in the organization and the community, likening the more open spaces he sees in Minnesota as similar to his native Texas. It all led to the hope that the disruption caused by the seismic trade that brought him and Donte DiVincenzo to the Wolves just before training camp started could be mitigated by the synergy that seemed to be built in.
After watching Randle and the Timberwolves stagger through a season-opening 110-103 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, it was clear that there is still plenty of adjusting that has to be done. The Wolves looked to be a step slow all night long. The offense was stagnant and lacked any of the ball movement that was so encouraging in the preseason. The defense was stuck in mud as the Lakers’ Anthony Davis torched them all night long.
Randle looked like a player who had not played since January because of a shoulder injury and was still acclimating to his new team. He had 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists and was the only Wolves starter on the right side of the plus-minus ledger (plus-2 in 34 minutes). But the eye test told a different story. He was beaten for back-cuts, provided little resistance at the rim against Davis and LeBron James and did not play with any of the force that is a hallmark of his game.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 23, 2024
“I didn’t come in with any expectations, other than to win,” Randle said. “I didn’t think it was going to be pretty or perfect or anything like that. It’s the first game. I just came in expecting to win and we didn’t get the job done. We’ve got a lot of potential and a lot of room to grow.”
Randle came to Minnesota in the trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. Perhaps it wasn’t a coincidence that the Knicks had their doors blown off by the Boston Celtics earlier in the evening. Both teams involved in one of the biggest trades of the offseason looked discombobulated, belying the lofty expectations both teams had entering the season.
Randle wasn’t the only Timberwolves player who couldn’t find a rhythm. Mike Conley has been the team’s most reliable player since coming over in a trade from Utah in 2022. But he had one of his worst games in a Minnesota uniform with five points on 1-of-7 shooting and three turnovers. The Timberwolves were outscored by 22 points in his 20 minutes, a jarring outcome for such a pivotal player on the roster.
Jaden McDaniels was limited to 16 minutes because of foul trouble, DiVincenzo went 3 of 11 and Gobert, the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year, was worked by Davis to the tune of 36 points, 16 rebounds and three blocked shots on the same day Gobert agreed to terms on a three-year, $110 million contract extension.
OH MY AD pic.twitter.com/poBoaddvpI
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 23, 2024
“They were the team that got most of the 50-50 balls. That can’t happen,” said Gobert, who finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds in 35 minutes. “It has to be who we are every night. That’s our identity. That’s one of the reasons we were so good last year. We were the most hungry team almost every night. We gotta find that.”
That the Wolves were already talking about hunger and playing hard after the first game constitutes a mild concern. It is just one of 82 games, but one of the biggest propellants for their run to the conference finals last season was the effort they gave every night. They turned the ball over 16 times, were just 13 for 41 (31.7 percent) from 3 and had no answer for Davis on either end of the floor.
“We got to find another level of urgency right now,” Finch said. “Season’s started and we didn’t answer the bell.”
Anthony Edwards had 27 points, six rebounds and three assists and was one of the only Wolves players to show consistent aggression and energy in the game. But he also turned it over four times, missed 15 of his 25 shots and did not move the ball the way Finch has emphasized all preseason long.
The Wolves had just 17 assists and were outscored 72-40 in the paint, a glaring number for a team that takes pride in taking away the rim as an option for their opponent.
Finch had hoped that he wouldn’t see a performance this lifeless to start such a highly anticipated season, but he could not have been surprised. Randle and DiVincenzo have not even been in Minnesota for a month since the trade. The starting five played only one preseason game together. Randle has a lot of playing to do before he can find the rhythm that was lost when he went down with the shoulder injury.
“I feel great. First game in a while, new team, new players, all different types of stuff. None of that is an excuse for me,” Randle said. “I’ll continue to build, continue to get better, find ways to improve. For me, it’s not necessarily scoring, it’s the little things.”
He pointed to the rebounding as a particular area that needs improvement. The Wolves outrebounded the Lakers 47-46, but they gave up 15 offensive rebounds. That coupled with Minnesota’s 16 turnovers gave Los Angeles 10 more shots in the game.
“For me, I take that personally because I pride myself on being able to rebound the ball,” Randle said. “It’s the little things we have to clean up and everything else will fall into place.”
The game felt eerily similar to a season-opening loss in Toronto last season. The Wolves carried high hopes into that game after a strong preseason, but a lot of the ball movement and force that the team played with before the season began was not there in the opener. The Wolves rebounded to win 56 games and go to the conference finals, so there is plenty of time for this team to figure out things.
The most troubling element is that the Lakers did not play well themselves, outside of Davis. They shot 5 of 30 from 3 (16.7 percent). Had that number been closer to their norm, this would have been a blowout.
“There were a couple of times Bron back-cut me and stuff like that, that can’t happen,” Randle said. “We’ll look at the film, but personally, I have to take accountability for my mistakes and get better from there.”
Minnesota’s defense forced just five turnovers and was shredded at the rim in the second quarter when Gobert went to the bench. Finch played nine players — Joe Ingles was the ninth at seven minutes — after saying in the preseason that he thought the rotation would go as high as 10. Josh Minott, a standout from the preseason, and No. 8 overall pick Rob Dillingham did not play in the game.
AUSTIN. AND ONE. pic.twitter.com/emm2G2c6tY
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 23, 2024
On the bright side, Nickeil Alexander-Walker played well with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including three 3s. The Wolves outscored Los Angeles by 13 points in his 28 minutes.
Shortly before the game, Gobert finalized his contract, ensuring his continued presence in Minnesota for the long haul. It was a significant move on multiple fronts, starting with the Wolves locking up their defensive mastermind so that his contract status did not become a lingering issue.
Gobert had two years left on his deal, including a player option for 2025-26 at $47 million. That number would have made it incredibly difficult for the Wolves to retain Reid, who has attained folk-hero status in Minnesota and is viewed as an important part of their young core.
Gobert will forgo his player option under the new deal to gain some long-term clarity while reducing his salary, so the Wolves can turn their attention to locking up Reid. The giveback was significant enough that it also may allow Minnesota to retain Alexander-Walker, team sources said.
Alexander-Walker has established himself as a valuable wing off the bench. He also is a big part of the close-knit Wolves locker room, and president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has put a premium on high-character players who bring good vibes to the roster.
“It’s never been about money,” Gobert said. “But even more at this point in my career, it’s about being where I feel at home and where I can win championships.”
Everyone’s world was turned upside down by the trade just a few days before training camp opened. This is going to take some time to figure out. Finch said he may have made the defensive concepts too complex for the first game of the season, and said they would simplify things before playing at Sacramento on Thursday.
“Really disconnected,” Finch said. “Like all the flow, rhythm, goodwill that we built up offensively through the preseason, we just didn’t have it.”
(Photo of Gabe Vincent, LeBron James, Julius Randle and Anthony Davis: David Crane / Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)