MINNEAPOLIS - The Timberwolves’ preseason has offered an early answer to the big question hanging over this new-look group: LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards have fit together a lot cleaner than plenty of people expected.
Chris Finch pointed straight to the simplest evidence after Minnesota’s preseason game against the defending champion New York Knicks.
“If you look at the shots that Ant was able to make last night, they were all super easy,” said Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch after the Timberwolves’ preseason bout with the defending champion New York Knicks. “A lot of them were generated through LaMelo's playmaking.”
That kind of connection has been a central part of Minnesota’s preseason approach. The team has emphasized continuity with its revamped roster, and outside of one game, the starters have logged meaningful minutes instead of the usual preseason shuffle. That has given the Wolves a real chance to test how their best pieces actually function together.
So far, the standout has been the pairing of Ball and Edwards. Both players have been high-usage forces - each has exceeded 30 percent in usage over the past three seasons, according to Basketball Reference - but the early returns have centered on how willingly both are moving the ball.
The fit has shown up in the details: skip passes swinging across the perimeter, downhill decisions that stay unselfish, and actions that make life easier for Edwards without taking him out of his rhythm.
ANTHONY EDWARDS FROM THE LOGO AT THE BUZZER. 🔥🔥🔥
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 13, 2026
Assist from LaMelo Ball. pic.twitter.com/f1VtvlqiUo
That shift has also been noticeable in the building itself. Finch said the team has felt different, in a way that matters.
“We've been a moody team in last few years…has gotten in our way,” said coach Finch. “We've traded moodiness for giddiness, so, we've gotta get to some sort of happy medium.”
Edwards sees Ball as a natural fit for that style. He praised the guard’s pace and energy, while also pointing to a practical benefit for himself.
“(LaMelo) plays like his hair is on fire,” said Edwards, the two-way superstar who believes that the addition of Ball will help lessen the burden of ball-handling responsibilities, which should, in turn, improve his energy and intensity on the defensive end.
The concerns about whether two ball-dominant stars could truly mesh have been out there, but both players have leaned into the partnership early. Edwards has never had a co-star quite like this; his closest comparison has been Karl-Anthony Towns, though that was a very different fit because Towns operated from the front court.
LaMelo and Anthony Edwards just passing it back and forth.
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 8, 2026
I already can’t get enough of this duo. 💀 pic.twitter.com/tthHuupc87
The Wolves still have time to keep sorting out the details, but the early signs around Ball and Edwards point in the same direction: this one looks promising.
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Chris Finch says the Timberwolves locker room has taken on a very different feel heading into the preseason, moving from what he described as moodiness to something closer to giddiness. The arrival of LaMelo Ball has been a big part of that shift, with his playmaking and energy giving Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and the rest of the roster a boost in the kind of easy rhythm teams like to see before the games start counting.
The challenge now is making sure that new spark does not drift into something too loose for a group with bigger goals. Finchs point was clear: the chemistry looks better, the mood is lighter and the ball movement should be fun to watch, but the Timberwolves still have to carry the seriousness it takes to chase a championship when the preseason feeling gives way to the real grind. [Read more 🡒]
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The Western Conference picture keeps shifting, and the Timberwolves are right in the middle of a summer that has already featured plenty of roster movement around them. Minnesotas addition of LaMelo Ball has only added to the sense that the conferences top tier is still being redrawn, with the Lakers bringing in Walker Kessler and Denver landing DeMar DeRozan as other contenders try to keep pace.
Reggie Miller, though, has been pointing to Houston as the team that could make the loudest leap. He sees a Rockets group built around a promising young core and strengthened by the arrivals of Fred VanVleet and Marcus Smart, enough to make them a real problem in a crowded West. The Rockets will get their first chance to show how far theyve come when they open the 2026-27 season against the Mavericks on October 21. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga Is Already Calming One Timberwolves Concern
Jonathan Kuminga has spent the Timberwolves preseason doing exactly what Minnesota hoped to see: fitting in. He has flashed on both ends without monopolizing the ball, and his best stretch so far came against the Pistons, when he led the team with 16 points while also adding 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Just as important, the scoring has come with good shot selection and the kind of floor spacing that can make a lineup easier to play around.
For a Wolves team that values cohesion and two-way versatility, Kumingas early usage is encouraging because it looks familiar in the right way. His role is expected to resemble Jaden McDaniels, with an emphasis on exploiting mismatches, defending, and helping the team function rather than chasing numbers. If that continues, one preseason concern about how he would fit should start to fade quickly. [Read more 🡒]