LaMelo Ball would bring obvious offensive fireworks to Minnesota, but the conversation around his fit with the Timberwolves keeps circling back to one concern: defense. It’s a fair question. It’s also not one that should send Wolves fans into a full-blown panic.
The reason is simple enough. Minnesota already has the kind of defensive backbone that can absorb some of Ball’s weaker moments. Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels give the Timberwolves a level of cover that Charlotte simply didn’t have, and that matters when you’re trying to project how a player with defensive flaws will look in a new setting.
The bigger question isn’t whether Ball is a strong defender - he isn’t - but whether a team can still field a good defense with him in the mix. The answer here looks like yes.
The Hornets managed to finish 11th in defensive rating per Cleaning the Glass this past season, and in the 2026 portion of the season they climbed to fifth in DRTG. LaMelo also showed some real buy-in on that end during that stretch.
Credit goes to Charles Lee for helping build that defensive identity in Charlotte. But Minnesota is operating with a much more gifted defensive cast, and that gives Ball a much cleaner runway.
Since Gobert arrived in 2022, the Wolves have finished as a top-10 defense every year. There’s nothing in Ball’s profile that screams that run has to end.
That doesn’t mean the concerns disappear. Ball’s lack of strength can show up when he’s defending the ball, and his off-ball habits can still drift.
But he’s not the kind of defender who completely torpedoes a scheme. He’s not Trae Young in that sense.
There’s also a little more versatility here than people may give him credit for. At 6-foot-7, Ball has enough size to handle some wing matchups and blend into lower-usage defensive assignments.
He also brings some playmaking on that end, ranking in the 65th percentile for steals per 100 possessions according to Databallr. Put him next to Gobert, and he can afford to take more chances and hunt turnovers.
None of that turns Ball into a defensive stopper overnight. It does, though, suggest he can be workable rather than disastrous.
If Ball lands in Minnesota, the Wolves would need to make some adjustments. Gobert would carry even more of the load.
McDaniels would have to slide up and take on more forwards. Edwards would need to stay sharper off the ball and probably draw tougher assignments.
Ayo Dosunmu would also see his defensive responsibilities grow.
Those are real changes, but they don’t sound like fatal ones. Ball’s defense is a legitimate concern, just not the kind that should scare Minnesota off if the offensive fit is as enticing as it looks.
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Summer League will offer the first clear checkpoint, and it should reveal whether Beringer is moving beyond raw tools and into dependable production. The biggest questions are familiar for a young big: staying disciplined on defense without getting into foul trouble, and adding more to his game offensively than just finishing plays around the rim. If he can show progress in those areas, Minnesotas frontcourt picture gets a lot more interesting. [Read more 🡒]