The Minnesota Timberwolves are trying to get ahead of the curve before the season even starts, and Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball are at the center of it.
While the Western Conference spotlight is fixed on the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota has quietly become a team worth watching. The Wolves already had two Conference Finals trips over the last three years, and after adding LaMelo Ball, they have a real chance to push further.
But the next step isn’t going to happen on talent alone. It has to start with chemistry.
That’s why Edwards and Ball are already making plans to spend part of the summer working with teammates, including Rudy Gobert in France. The idea, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, is for the group to get together in Paris and put in work before camp opens.
“I know that they are already discussing getting the team together and going to Paris to work out with Rudy Gobert,” said Krawczynski. “These are the kinds of things that are starting to formulate with this group, and Anthony is taking on a lot of that initiative.
This has been brought on by those two guys, by Ant and LaMelo. They’ve decided to do this; they are leading the way with this; they are organizing things with their teammates to try and figure out something along those lines.
So, I think that especially will resonate with Rudy Gobert.”
For Minnesota, that matters. Edwards and Ball are both still young stars, and there are plenty of questions about how their games will mesh.
But the message from the top is clear: they’re not waiting around to figure it out once the games start. They want to build the connection now.
Krawczynski also pointed to the symbolism of the trip itself.
“They are organizing things with their teammates to try and figure out something. Heading across the water and coming to his town to work with him will go a long way… They are not going to The Bahamas; they are going right into Rudy’s backyard.
So that is a very meaningful gesture and a calculated decision to do it that way. So, it’s really important, and that goes to what I’ve heard early on about LaMelo’s presence.
He’s a vibes guy.”
Minnesota’s 49-33 finish last season was good enough for sixth in the West, but the run ended in the West Semi-Finals. If the Timberwolves are going to take another step, the foundation has to be set in the locker room as much as on the court.
That’s where Gobert comes in. The veteran big man remains a central piece of the team, and his numbers still tell the story: 12.5 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game on 68.2% shooting for his career. Edwards, who has been his teammate for the past four seasons, understands how important it is to bring Gobert fully into the mix with this new-look roster.
There’s a long way to go before Minnesota knows exactly what this group can become. But with training camp still ahead, the Timberwolves have already started doing the kind of work that can shape a season before it ever begins.
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