The Lakers haven't exactly been razor sharp over the last three or four games, but overall have gotten the job done. They have, to use Darvin Ham's words, stacked up wins en route to a seventh place finish in the West that would have seemed improbable six weeks ago. LeBron James looked great in Sunday's finale, Anthony Davis seems healthy, and the team is expected to be fully intact for the first time all year on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, on Sunday Minnesota lost forward Jaden McDaniels to a broken hand sustained punching a wall in their season finale vs. New Orleans, and then center Rudy Gobert punched Kyle Anderson in a sideline huddle, and has been suspended by the team.

Is Gobert that big a loss, given his shaky health and cratering reputation? Might the Wolves be better off without him, given the matchups (even while missing backup center Naz Reid, who was already out with a broken wrist)? Can the Lakers exploit the absence of McDaniels, who is easily Minnesota's best defender? Was the beatdown the Lakers put on the Wolves a few games back an aberration, or a sign of things to come?

To answer these questions and more, we welcome Ben Beecken, host of Locked On Wolves for a return visit to the show. It's not quite do-or-die time for the Lakers, but "doing" would help them get a few days of badly, badly, BADLY needed rest before a first round matchup against the Grizzlies this weekend in Memphis.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky, with guest Ben Beecken!

SEGMENT 1: What exactly is going on with the Wolves right now? Are they going to circle the wagons and come out fighting, or collapse under the strain? We've got questions for Ben.

SEGMENT 2: Ben turns it around. How has D'Angelo Russell played? Is he an x-factor? What has changed for the Lakers since the deadline?

SEGMENT 3: Predictions. Who wins, and why.

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