NBA analyst on reverse impact of Rudy Gobert's suspension on the LA Lakers: "This to me, puts pressure on the Lakers"

The LA Lakers enter their seventh-seed play-in game against the Minnesota Timberwolves as the heavy favorites following Rudy Gobert's suspension. Gobert punched teammate Kyle Anderson in the chest during the Timberwolves' season finale 113-108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans after the two got into a verbal altercation on the bench.

Minnesota sent Gobert home for the rest of the game and has decided to suspend him for their crucial game against the Lakers. The Timberwolves will also miss the services of forward Jaden McDaniels, their best perimeter defender. McDaniels punched the wall in frustration in Minnesota's final game and broke his right hand.

LA will be licking their chops with the Timberwolves shorthanded. However, ESPN's Max Kellerman believes McDaniels and Gobert's absence puts more pressure on the Lakers to win. Here's what Kellerman said on the KJM podcast:

"This to me, puts pressure on the Lakers... Lakers got to win this game now. I mean they had to win anyway, but because they are seventh they could afford to lose one and afford to win the next one. But at this point, [the Timberwolves] down with their two best defenders, that puts more pressure on them [Lakers]."

The LA Lakers could likely enter this game at full strength. It's also a home game for them, and a loss would be a disappointing result, as the situation couldn't have been more favorable for LeBron James and Co.

These are games where LA has shown complacency in the past. The stakes are too high for any slip-up, making this a must-win for the Lakers.

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LA Lakers in top form entering play-in tournament

The LA Lakers are in red-hot form entering the postseason. They have won six of their last seven and have posted an 18-9 record since the trade deadline, tied for third-best among all 30 teams in that stretch. The Lakers surprisingly finished four games above .500 this season (43-39), the seventh-best record in the West.

They started the season 2-10 and could've easily missed the play-in tournament again. However, they were persistent and competitive in every game from there on. The trade deadline changed the team's fortunes as they improved their roster balance and depth.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis finally have some decent shooting around them. The Lakers also added length and size defensively, which has helped them surge into the top three defensive teams post the deadline.

That helps the Lakers' chances of making the playoffs as they get two chances at securing qualification to the playoffs if they lose their first play-in game. However, LA is in great spirits and should look to lock its position as the seventh seed in the 2023 playoffs.

The LA Lakers will have a better shot at beating the Memphis Grizzlies than the Denver Nuggets in the first round. The Grizzlies' inexperience gives LA the advantage, especially with LeBron James' presence. He could help the Lakers exploit the young Memphis team's weaknesses, which would be without key players like Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke.