Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are healthy and fit to participate in the Lakers-Timberwolves game on Friday. Doncic and Reaves are currently the only active members of LA's three-headed monstrous offense, which features LeBron James as the third man.The Lakers are heading into the matchup after suffering a 119-109 loss in their season opener against the Golden State Warriors. Both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves delivered good performances in their first game of the season.However, the Warriors' elite system that relies on Steph Curry's off-ball positioning and elite ball movement got the best of the best of LA's defense on opening night. Doncic secured a 40-piece in his first game of the season. He scored 43-points, collected 12-rebounds and dished out nine-assist to start his season on a high note.On the other hand, Austin Reaves looked sharp in his movement, handles, and shooting. He scored 26-points, collected five-rebounds and dished out nine-assists on 9 of 16 shooting from the field in his opening game.The Lakers have an opportunity to exact revenge against Minnesota on Friday. The Timberwolves had eliminated them in the first round of the playoffs last season with a 4-1 record.Apart from LeBron James, who is out with a sciatica injury, LA will be missing Maxi Kleber and Adou Thiero. Kleber is out with an oblique strain, while Thiero is out with a knee injury.Luka Doncic gets honest on his defensive growth heading into the new seasonLuka Doncic worked on himself tirelessly during the offseason. He lost significant weight, and surprised the fans with a slimmer and leaner build on the day of his contract extension.The Lakers star then set out to represent Slovenia in the EuroBasket, where we got a first look at Doncic's improved defense. He was seen moving swiftly and guarding his man tightly. In his season opener against the Warriors on Tuesday, the Lakers' star displayed great defensive effort.He was constantly applying pressure on his man and was hard to fend off. He had one block and two steals in the game. In a postgame interview, Luka Doncic gave his honest opinion on his defense growth."I think I'm getting better on defensive end. Just trying to be more involved, more communication. Overall 41 minutes, I like that," He said.Defense is one of the most criticized parts of the Lakers' star's game. If he can improve his game on the defensive end of the floor, the fans can look forward to the Slovenian international becoming a favorite for this season's MVP award.