Anthony Edwards has spent his career waiting for the right partner to make a two-man game sing, and the Timberwolves may finally have one.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Edwards had their moments together, and there was clearly real comfort there, but the fit always felt incomplete. The same problem showed up after Minnesota brought in Julius Randle.
The theory was simple enough: Randle’s passing could open things up for Edwards. The reality was messier, with the offense often turning into a lot of “your turn, my turn” basketball.
That’s why the arrival of LaMelo Ball changes the conversation.
Ball looks like the kind of co-star Edwards has never really had. He brings the kind of playmaking Minnesota has lacked around its star wing, along with the scoring punch that forces defenses to stay honest. Ball has averaged at least 20 points and 7 assists per game every season except his rookie year, and that blend of creation and volume scoring gives Edwards a very different kind of running mate.
The contrast with what Edwards has had before is pretty stark. The point guards he’s shared the floor with include D'Angelo Russell, Donte DiVincenzo, and Ayo Dosunmu, who aren’t true point guards, along with Mike Conley, Ricky Rubio, and Patrick Beverley, who were all extremely limited offensively. Ball is operating on another level as a creator.
And this pairing isn’t just about what Ball can do for Edwards. It should work both ways.
Edwards is one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the game, and Ball should put more of those looks in front of him. At the same time, Edwards can ease the burden on Ball defensively and help take some pressure off him on that end. Minnesota has now put arguably the best three-level scorer in the NBA next to one of the best playmakers and shooters in the NBA.
That’s the kind of fit the Timberwolves never got with Randle. Randle wasn’t a reliable threat away from the ball, and even when he had it, he didn’t always lean into the playmaking enough to unlock Edwards the way Minnesota needed. The spacing wasn’t there, the versatility wasn’t there, and the partnership never really found its rhythm.
With Ball, the hope is different. This one looks seamless on paper, and it doesn’t seem like it should take long for Edwards to see it. The Wolves may have finally found the co-star who matches him cleanly, and that’s a problem for everyone else.
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For Wolves fans, the appeal is obvious: a young, athletic forward who could plug into a starting role and add another layer to the rotation. But this one may come down to the usual free-agency tradeoffs, with contract terms and team fit shaping the decision as the Lakers and Cavaliers remain in the mix. [Read more 🡒]