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Timberwolves at Lakers Game #1

Hey, we're back! Another season of Wolves basketball begins tonight at Staples Center against the Lakers.

By Eric in Madison
Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports

Wolves at Lakers
9:30 pm CDT
ESPN and FSN

And...Welcome to another season of Wolves Game Threads.

Tonight the Wolves and Lakers make their season debuts at Staples Center in Los Angeles, and guess what? The Wolves are on national television as the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

There are several story lines to keep an eye on of course:

  • The first and second picks of the 2015 draft make their debuts against each other, as D'Angelo Russell starts at shooting guard for the Lakers while Karl-Anthony Towns will be the Wolves' center.
  • Kobe! KG! Old guys! This is likely the start of the final season in Kobe Bryant's career--how will he approach it?
  • How will the rotations work for Sam Mitchell at the start of the season? We have a pretty good idea of what it will look like, but tonight the rubber hits the road for the first time.
  • The Wolves first three opponents are widely expected to be non-playoff teams (like themselves) and are all from the Western Conference. Can the Wolves get off to a strong start and show that they are a step ahead of these other teams in the same tier?
  • Marcelo Huertas! A 32 year old rookie who had a tremendous career in Europe. He actually took over the point guard spot at Barcelona when Rubio came to the Wolves. Wouldn't have expected him to give the NBA a try at this late stage in his career, but here he is. A phenomenal passer of the basketball.

The Lakers are an interesting mix of youth and experience, having brought in guys like Roy Hibbert and Brandon Bass in addition to Kobe and Nick Young to surround their younger guys, but what they are trying to achieve this season is unclear. I expect Russell, Julius Randle, and Jordan Clarkson to get plenty of run this season, while Byron Scott uses the veterans to try to win.


The Wolves, meanwhile, despite bringing in some (really) old guys, are bursting with inexperience, and a big part of this season is adding to that experience and figuring out who is part of the future and who isn't, and what combinations work going forward.


It all starts tonight, and I can't wait.


Expected Lineups


Lakers


Jordan Clarkson
D'Angelo Russell

Kobe Bryant
Julius Randle
Roy Hibbert


Wolves


Ricky Rubio
Andrew Wiggins
Tayshaun Prince
Kevin Garnett

Karl-Anthony Towns


Remember, no pics, gifs, links to illegal streams in the comments.


You all remember how we do this?


Enjoy the game. Chat here. Go Wolves.