LaMelo Ball’s fit with the Minnesota Timberwolves could do more than lighten the load. It could reshape Anthony Edwards’ entire offensive job description.
Edwards spent last season carrying too much of the ball-handling and playmaking burden. With Ball in the mix, Minnesota suddenly has a high-end point guard who can absorb some of that pressure and let Edwards work in different ways. That matters because Edwards has already shown he can punish defenses without dominating the ball.
The clearest example is his shooting. Since becoming an elite shooter two years ago, Edwards has been just as dangerous away from the action as he is creating it himself.
But that part of his game barely got tapped last season. He shot 49.6 percent from beyond the arc, yet he only took 2.3 attempts last season.
That number should climb now. Ball’s presence gives the Timberwolves a chance to use Edwards more as an off-ball scorer, and that could unlock another layer of his game. Instead of always being the one initiating, Edwards can attack from different spots and become even harder to scheme against.
He’s entering his age-25 season, and the ceiling here is obvious. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he led the league in scoring and became a legitimate MVP candidate. Even if the raw numbers don’t jump dramatically, this has the feel of the best season of his career so far.
Last season already showed what happens when Edwards sharpens another part of his offense. His improved mid-range scoring helped push him to a career-high 28.8 points and made him much more effective in clutch moments. Still, teams found a way to bother Minnesota by loading up on Edwards and forcing him to make plays for others.
That approach worked because the Wolves didn’t always have enough creation around him to answer back. With Ball now there, that problem looks a lot different. Doubling Edwards should be far less comfortable for opposing defenses, and Minnesota should be able to lean harder into his off-ball scoring.
That’s the real swing here. Defenses won’t just have to deal with Edwards on the ball.
They’ll have to track him when he’s moving without it, too. That extra layer of danger gives Minnesota a new kind of unpredictability, and it could push both Edwards and the Timberwolves into a higher gear.
The role will be different, but it doesn’t sound like a complicated one for Edwards to handle. His shooting is already elite, and if Minnesota takes full advantage of that, the payoff could be huge.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Could Be Eyeing Their Riskiest Power Forward Fix Yet
Minnesotas search for help at power forward has a familiar feel to it: the Timberwolves need size, athleticism and a little more juice on the front line, but they also have to shop carefully. Jonathan Kuminga fits the profile of a high-upside swing, and his age and physical tools make him an intriguing name for a team that could use another versatile forward in the mix.
The catch is that any pursuit would come with real risk, because Kuminga has not exactly been a clean fit everywhere he has played and his next stop would almost certainly be judged through the lens of opportunity as much as talent. For the Timberwolves, the appeal is obvious if he is willing to bet on himself and accept a smaller deal in exchange for a bigger role, but that kind of arrangement would still leave plenty of questions about whether Minnesota is buying upside or inviting another volatile frontcourt experiment. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Lose Another Coach As Finchs Staff Keeps Taking Hits
Another change is coming to Chris Finchs staff, with assistant coach Max Lefevre moving on after a run that began in Minnesota in 2019. Lefevre worked his way through player development and video roles before being elevated to a full assistant coach last year, making him one of the more familiar behind-the-scenes figures in the organization.
His exit adds another offseason hole for the Timberwolves to fill at a time when the bench has already been reshuffled. Minnesota has been trying to keep continuity around Finch, but the staff keeps getting thinner, and the next move on the coaching side will matter as much for stability as for any new voice it brings in. [Read more 🡒]
Wolves Just Lost The Veteran Backbone That Kept Everything Steady
The Timberwolves have spent the offseason looking a lot different than the group that reached the playoffs in 2023-24, and the most obvious change is not just on the floor. Only three players remain from that run, and with Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson and Joe Ingles gone, Minnesota has lost the steady veteran presence that helped keep the room organized when the season got bumpy. Those players were more than rotation pieces - they helped regulate the mood, keep the focus where it needed to be and make sure the group stayed on track.
President Tim Connelly has already pointed to the inconsistency that followed, saying the Wolves were not locked in enough from night to night. Now the burden shifts toward younger voices, with Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels expected to take on more of that leadership load. For a team still trying to define its identity after so much turnover, replacing production is one thing, but replacing the calm that held everything together is another challenge entirely. [Read more 🡒]