3 players who could change playoff series for Wolves vs Lakers feat. Jaden McDaniels

The Minnesota Timberwolves and the LA Lakers split their regular-season series this season. Only one game separated both teams in the win-loss column, yet the Lakers finished with the third seed, and the Timberwolves were three spots below.

That speaks volumes about how competitive the Western Conference was this season. Notably, it also opens up the door for multiple potential upsets to take place in the first round.

However, with homecourt advantage, LeBron James and Luka Doncic, it's not much of a surprise to see the Lakers as odds-on favorites (-190) to win this series.

Even so, the Timberwolves will be a tough opponent to get past, and while everybody knows what Anthony Edwards is capable of, they have other players who might tilt the scale in their favor.

Here is our assessment of them.

3 players who could be the X-Factor for Wolves vs. Lakers

#3. Jaden McDaniels

Jaden McDaniels is the ultimate role player. He's the glue-guy that championship teams often crave because of his defensive flexibility, versatility and ability to guard multiple positions.

McDaniels is a 34.8% career shooter from the 3-point line, and while that's not elite, he's more than capable of stretching the floor. He's also a pest on defense who can guard one through five, and he can be a disruptive defender to keep Luka Doncic out of rhythm.

He can take pressure off Edwards' shoulders by handling Doncic in the perimeter, and he can also help them spread the floor on offense in small-ball settings.

#2. Julius Randle

As a former Laker, Julius Randle might hold some grudges against his former team. They gave up on him four seasons after they took him No. 7 overall in 2014.

The New York Knicks swapped Randle with Karl-Anthony Towns, and the talk in league circles was that the Timberwolves lost the trade. The players hear all the noise, and he must be extremely motivated to prove them wrong in the playoffs.

Randle is a physical presence down low, and the Lakers don't have anybody strong enough to hold his own against him. He's been up and down in the playoffs in his career, but if he makes the most of his raw power, he'll give his former team fits.

#1. Rudy Gobert

Rudy Gobert has a Hall of Famer's résumé. He's a seven-time All-Defensive selection and four-time Defensive Player of the Year, but he doesn't get enough credit for that.

That's because he's struggled in the playoffs, often being benched down the stretch and failing to get stops on the perimeter. He can't afford to go through that again this time around.

The Lakers are undersized. Only Jaxson Hayes is playing significant minutes at center, and he should be able to outplay Alex Len if they give him a longer leash. The Timberwolves are a jumbo team, and Gobert's presence on both ends of the floor can be crucial to get past the first round.