LaMelo Ball didn’t spend his first days with the Timberwolves easing in quietly. After being traded to Minnesota in late June, he was already on a trip to Paris with his new teammates, a getaway arranged by Rudy Gobert.
That kind of bonding time only goes so far, of course. It takes more than a few days and a plane ride to learn a locker room, settle into new voices, and figure out how everyone wants the ball moving.
But Ball isn’t arriving as just another newcomer trying to find his place. He’s stepping into a role that asks him to drive the offense.
Asked whether there was anyone he had gone out of his way to get to know better, Ball kept it simple.
"Honestly, with my game [getting to know people] kinda just happens for real," he said in front of a packed room of reporters.
Chris Finch didn’t sound worried about the fit either. He pointed to Ball’s energy and how naturally he seems to connect with teammates.
"He brings a joy to the game, always fun to be around" Head Coach Chris Finch said. "He's got a fast chemistry with everybody, and I think we're getting him at the right time."
That timing matters for a Minnesota team that pushed its pace up to 12th in the league last season. Ball’s scoring, passing, and willingness to play fast should raise that level again, and Anthony Edwards stands to benefit most from the change.
Edwards, who tried to handle more point guard duties last season with mixed results, made no secret of how much he expects Ball to ease the load.
"I feel like i'm a natural two guard," Anthony Edwards said behind a smile, harkening back to his point guard responsibilities last season in which he found himself frustrated at times. "I never thought I could develop any point guard skills...Finchy harps on me to pass the ball, but now we got LaMelo, so I'm lucky."
Edwards will still bring the ball up plenty. That part isn’t going away. But the burden of setting the table should be lighter now, and Julius Randle gives Minnesota another ball-stopping forward who won’t need the same kind of on-ball volume in the post.
Ball’s fit with Rudy Gobert may end up being just as important. Gobert has spent time in Minnesota as a lob threat who hasn’t always been fully tapped, and the pairing with Edwards often felt like two players operating on different wavelengths. Edwards would drift into a stepback three, while Gobert waited on the other end of the play.
Gobert also noted that his own chances to finish plays have not always been ideal, saying he has never fully found his groove on that side with the Wolves. He was fourth on the team in minutes per game last season, but only 10th in passes received per game.
"I think LaMelo is one of the best passers in this league, and one of the best creators...expecially for big men," Gobert said. "I think he's definitely going to bring something to our group that we need - pace, creation, and just having the ball moving."
Beyond the basketball fit, Ball gives Minnesota something else: a reset button. His style can pull defenders into rotation, keep the ball flowing, and bring a looser feel to the day-to-day grind that felt missing last season.
If getting to know teammates is supposed to happen through the way he plays, Ball has already made his point.
In Other News...
Anthony Edwards Knows What This New Timberwolves Team Is Chasing
Minnesotas offseason has already given the Timberwolves a noticeably different look, and Anthony Edwards sounds as eager as anyone to see what it becomes. After a run to the Western Conference semifinals, the front office went out and added LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga, a pair of talented newcomers who raise the ceiling of a team that was already squarely in the playoff conversation.
Edwards, the face of the franchise, has made clear he likes where this is headed and sees the group chasing something bigger than another strong regular season. The Western Conference is still loaded, of course, which is why the next step matters so much for Minnesota, and why Edwards health and the fit of the new roster will loom as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Sounds Sure About One Wolves Risk Fans Cant Ignore
Anthony Edwards is sounding upbeat about the Timberwolves chances of staying elite on defense even after a potential shakeup that would bring LaMelo Ball into the mix. Minnesota has built its identity around high-end defenders, with Rudy Gobert anchoring the paint and Jaden McDaniels handling tough perimeter assignments, so the question is not whether the team has defensive talent. It is whether adding a gifted but imperfect defender changes the balance enough to matter.
Balls offensive creativity would give Minnesota another layer, but his defense is the part that could keep opposing teams hunting for openings. The Wolves would likely need their existing stoppers to do extra work around him, especially in the kinds of lineups that can be exposed over long stretches. Edwards sounds convinced the team can absorb it, but it is the sort of roster gamble that will have fans watching every matchup possession a little closer. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Finally Sounds Past A Wolves Concern Fans Felt All Summer
Anthony Edwards spent the summer answering the same concern Wolves fans kept circling back to after last season: how his body would bounce back after the knee issues that slowed him down. Edwards said he needed about two months to fully recover from the runners knee and the playoff hyperextension with the bone bruise, and he acknowledged that the layoff led to some weight gain before he worked his way back into shape.
That update matters because Minnesota is finally moving from recovery talk to basketball again, with the preseason opener now on deck and the team still sorting out its early camp tone. Chris Finch also noted rookie Isaiah Evans progress, while former coach Tom Thibodeau made a visit to training camp, a reminder that there is plenty of attention around the Wolves even before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]