The Minnesota Timberwolves’ trade for LaMelo Ball gives them something defenses hate: another elite shooter next to Anthony Edwards.
That’s the real hook here. Ball finished last season third in made 3-pointers per game, while Edwards was sixth.
Basketball Index also placed both players in the 99th percentile for 3-point shooting talent. Put those numbers together, and the Wolves suddenly have a backcourt with rare firepower.
It’s not quite fair to say they’ll become Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and this piece doesn’t try to push it that far. Curry and Thompson are still the standard, with Curry clearly No. 1 and the Warriors’ 73-win 2015-16 season sitting in a different tier. But there are obvious similarities in the way Edwards and Ball can stress a defense.
Both can punish teams on the catch and off the dribble. Both force defenders to stay glued to them.
And when you have to track two players with that kind of gravity, everything else gets easier for the offense around them. Ball’s passing only sharpens that effect, because he can turn those shooting threats into cleaner looks for everyone else.
Edwards, in particular, may be set up for a different kind of season. More than 70 percent of his 3-point attempts last season came as pull-ups, and while he handled that load well, his catch-and-shoot game wasn’t used nearly enough. That should change alongside Ball, and his volume from deep could rise even more.
The Warriors’ old formula still matters here: shooters moving, defenders chasing, and open looks appearing before a defense can reset. Minnesota can borrow pieces of that idea.
Chris Finch has already shown some of those wrinkles in preseason, using Edwards in off-ball actions to generate open 3s. Ball and Edwards have also flashed a promising two-man game.
That’s where the Timberwolves’ path gets interesting. If they can keep that shooting rolling, they have a way to make life difficult for teams built around rim protection. The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are both tough matchups in their own right, but the Wolves can attack the math by spacing the floor and forcing those defenses to deal with elite perimeter shooting.
The Spurs and Thunder are average shooting teams, which only sharpens the contrast. Minnesota’s advantage starts with a backcourt that can bend the game from beyond the arc.
That’s the point: if you’re going to win a championship, you need a weapon that doesn’t have a clean answer. Edwards and Ball give the Timberwolves that kind of problem for opponents. They may not be title favorites, but they do have a backcourt that can challenge any defense in a way this league hasn’t really seen since the Splash Brothers.
In Other News...
Naz Reid Just Reminded Wolves Fans How Rare Ant Really Is
Naz Reids move from Minnesota to Charlotte has given him a new front-row seat to a different kind of young talent, and it also gave him a useful comparison point when he talked about Brandon Miller. Reid drew a line from Millers growth to what he once saw from Anthony Edwards in Minnesota, the kind of rapid rise that can change how a franchise thinks about its future. For Timberwolves fans, the reference lands because they know just how unusual Edwards has been as a force of nature, not only as a scorer but as a player whose athleticism and production tend to separate him from most players his age.
Miller has plenty going for him, and the discussion around him is really about what kind of ceiling he can reach in a different situation. The articles larger point is that development does not happen in a vacuum, and the teammates around a young player shape how far his game can go and how quickly. Edwards benefited from the environment Minnesota built around him as he kept ascending, while Charlotte is trying to find its own structure around Miller, leaving the bigger question about whether his rise can truly track the same path. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga Is Bringing Extra Attention To A Huge Wolves Bet
Jonathan Kumingas arrival in Minnesota has already added another layer of intrigue to a Timberwolves offseason that has been busy enough on its own. After the team swung a deal for LaMelo Ball and brought in Kuminga on a two-year contract with a player option, the early picture is a revamped starting group that would put him alongside Anthony Edwards, Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert.
Kuminga is also drawing attention beyond the court after a recent viral run-in with a fan, a reminder that the spotlight in Minnesota will be intense from the start. For a Wolves team betting big on a new look and a higher ceiling, that kind of noise only adds to the scrutiny around how quickly this group can come together once the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Walked Into A Preseason Atmosphere That Felt Nothing Like Preseason
Friday night in Ames had the feel of something closer to a celebration than a tune-up, with the Timberwolves dropped into an exhibition setting that carried the weight of a much bigger basketball moment. The Pacers and Minnesota were in preseason mode, but the setting and the crowd energy made it easy to forget, especially with the game staged in a building that already meant a great deal to one of Indianas biggest names.
Tyrese Haliburtons return to an official game after a long injury recovery gave the night its emotional center, and it was the kind of backdrop that had players and coaches around the league talking about more than just rotations or conditioning. For Minnesota, it was a reminder that even a preseason stop can turn into a meaningful basketball event when fan interest, a familiar arena and a comeback story all line up at once. [Read more 🡒]