Pandemic game- Lakers GDT

[FNG]

First the Lakers announce five players out with Covid including three starters (although now I am hearing Westbrook might play), and now the Wolves have Ant and Prince in the protocol. Surprising news considering all Wolves are vaxxed and most are boostered, but this virus is crazy. I'll be there with three teenagers who idolize LeBron (they insist on getting there at 7:45 for a 9pm game to watch him warm up), so I'm going to have to be loud to drown them all out!

The Wolves opened up as a 1 1/2 point favorite, but it moved to a pick 'em after the Ant and Westbrook news. I was really looking forward to seeing if Ant could continue his hot shooting, but we may have to rely on a nice shooting game from Beas...he's 38% on threes this month. The Lakers have so many moving parts, it's hard to know who is going to play tonight...welcome to professional sports in the Covid Era. Isaiah Thomas was just added to the roster after scoring 42 in the G League Wednesday night (says more about the quality of play in the G league than it does about Thomas I think), and Trevor Ariza may even get his first minutes of the season. With all the unknowns, anyone that bets this game should probably check themselves into gambling rehab. I get why Vegas has it as a pick 'em. I'm not going to call this one...just going to sit back and enjoy watching LeBron, and see if the Wolves can beat the Lakers again.

[Wolvesfan21]

I'm wondering if the vaccine does jack shit. The Browns have 21 players out and they rescheduled their game. Not sure what to make of it, seems vaccinated players get it just as much as unvaccinated.

Anyways once again we don't have a full strength team. So what is the starting lineup?

Bev
DLO
Jaden
Vandy
KAT

I suppose.

[FNG]

I'm wondering if the vaccine does jack shit. The Browns have 21 players out and they rescheduled their game. Not sure what to make of it, seems vaccinated players get it just as much as unvaccinated.

Anyways once again we don't have a full strength team. So what is the starting lineup?

Bev
DLO
Jaden
Vandy
KAT

I suppose.

I'm far from an expert on Covid, but based on what I've read (and experiences of family members and friends), the vaxxed are still getting Covid but, for the most part, aren't dying or ending up in the hospital. Ant tested positive, but he's probably feeling just fine having gotten the vaccine. And if Covid makes you hit threes like he did Wednesday, I could have used a little Covid in high school!

I think I would go with your lineup. But we're going to need a lot of Beasley scoring off the bench, and maybe a decent outing from Nowell.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Out of respect for each other's varying takes and opinions on COVID and vaccinations, let's collectively try not to steer the game thread in that direction.

With that said, I think we'll see Jaden McDaniels slide into the starting lineup tonight and the ensuing game(s) that Anthony Edwards misses. I can only hope that McDaniels awakens from his season-long slumber.

I think an interesting idea for tonight is to play Jarred Vanderbilt, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Naz Reid together at times. Vando is Minnesota's best defender for LeBron James given his strength, length, and mobility. The Lakers will go big at times leaving James at the three. The Wolves should match by playing Vando at the three as well.

Please. Please. Please. Play Jaylen Nowell significant minutes tonight. Minnesota needs all the shot creation they can get, especially with Edwards being out. They need to get him going or at least find out with certainty that he's not an option.

[FNG]

Jaden showed some signs of revival on offense in his last game going 3 for 6 from beyond the arc. But anyone that watched the game probably noticed that he rattled a couple of his makes in...they weren't perfectly clean like Ant's. I'll take a make over a miss any day, but I'd rather have his makes look more like KAT's and Ant's than Okogie's.

[FNG]

And the hits just keep on coming. Now Austin Reeves has been placed in the protocol. Some of you may say "who?", but he's been terrific this season, especially when he's on the court with LeBron. A scrappy, effective defender, and able to hit the open three (39%). LeBron loves him, and Reeves actually has a slightly better on/off this season than LeBron. Certainly doesn't make up for our losing Ant tonight, but it helps.

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

Also, this is why we need to trade for a legitimate guard/wing. We were already very thin there before Anthony Edwards tested positive for COVID. Our options to replace him are quite awful, if we're being honest, and that means the third wing that comes off the bench is going to be an even worse caliber player. There's an entire domino effect that the Wolves aren't prepared for without a trade in the near future.

[Leado01]

This will be interesting.... I'm guessing they start Beas over Jaden

[FNG]

You may be right about Beas starting, leado. The Lakers aren't that long other than lebron and AD, and they need Beasleys shooting. I guess I would have jaden come off the bench too.

Arena was almost half full at 8:30

[kekgeek]

Beasley is starting in place of Ant