LaMelo Ball gives the Minnesota Timberwolves plenty to like on paper. The offensive talent is obvious, the fit next to Anthony Edwards makes sense, and the playmaking punch he brings should give the Wolves’ offense another gear. But for all the excitement around the trade, there’s one question that hangs over everything: can Ball hold up when the playoffs get nasty?
That’s the real swing factor here, not the shot selection concerns that tend to follow him. Ball can have the occasional head-scratching possession, sure, but that part of his game has improved, and his willingness to launch daring 3-pointers helps create openings for everyone else. The bigger issue is whether his style survives the kind of punishment postseason defenses are built to deliver.
Playoff basketball is a different animal. Opponents spend more time hunting weaknesses, and they’re allowed to lean on you harder.
That’s especially tricky for guards who don’t have much bulk. Ball stands 6-foot-7, but he weighs just 180 pounds, lighter than smaller guards like Stephen Curry and Jalen Brunson.
In the regular season, that hasn’t stopped him from generating an above-average amount of rim pressure. In the playoffs, it could be a very different story.
His finishing numbers only sharpen that concern. Ball has never shot above 60 percent at the rim, and if he can’t consistently score there or even get there in the first place, defenses will have an easier time taking away his space on the perimeter. That would also cut into the drive-and-kick game that makes him such a dangerous creator.
None of that means he can’t overcome it. Ball is an elite playmaker and a perimeter scorer with the kind of offensive ceiling that can change a team. But the physical side of the postseason is a legitimate test, and it feels especially relevant against defenses like the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, who bring a heavy-pressure style.
There’s also the health piece, which can’t be ignored. Ball has played more than 55 games only twice in six seasons.
Even last season, one of his healthier ones, he averaged just 28 minutes. That’s a real concern when the games matter most, because playoff teams need their best players on the floor, absorbing big minutes while the defense is locked in on taking away easy looks.
Still, the Wolves made this move for a reason. Ball is one of the 10 or so most talented offensive players in the league, and Minnesota badly needed another co-star and creator beside Edwards. If the price was reasonable, it’s the kind of gamble you take.
The risk is real, though, and it all circles back to the same point: the Ball-Timberwolves era will be judged by postseason success. That leaves one central question looming over the entire partnership - how will LaMelo Ball handle playoff physicality?
In Other News...
Timberwolves Need Joan Beringer To Answer One Growing Roster Problem
The Timberwolves have spent enough of their future to make every internal development story matter a little more, and Joan Beringer is suddenly one of the most important ones on the roster. With future draft capital pared down after the LaMelo Ball trade, Minnesota cannot count on a steady stream of rookie reinforcements to keep the pipeline moving, so the growth of a young, athletic second-year big carries unusual weight for a contender trying to stay ahead of time.
Beringer is expected to be Rudy Goberts primary backup this season, which puts him in position to absorb real minutes and real responsibility right away. If his game keeps progressing, he could eventually become more than just the next man up and help ease the transition as Gobert ages, giving the Timberwolves a homegrown answer to a roster problem they may not be able to solve any other way. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Fans May Not Like What This Missed Reunion Suggests
Ben Simmons is headed back to the NBA after spending last season away from the league to focus on his mental health, and his return comes on a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Sacramento Kings. The guards workout for Sacramento general manager Scott Perry reportedly left the team and Australian officials encouraged by his health and readiness, and the move gives the Kings a low-cost chance to see what Simmons can still bring.
Along the way, there were other teams watching, including the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks, but none put a contract on the table. For the Timberwolves, it is another reminder of how narrow the margin can be when a veteran with name value and some upside hits the market, especially once one club decides the fit is worth the gamble. [Read more 🡒]
Which Timberwolves Could Put Minnesota Back In The NBA Awards Spotlight
Minnesotas 2023-24 run put the Timberwolves back in a familiar but refreshing place: the franchise is once again talking about major league-wide honors instead of simply trying to stay in the conversation. Anthony Edwards remains the obvious centerpiece of that discussion, while Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels give the roster more than one route into the award picture if the season breaks the right way.
The appeal is in how broad the possibilities are, even if they are only possibilities for now. LaMelo Ball also surfaces as part of the conversation around individual recognition, and that kind of company says a lot about where Minnesotas talent level sits entering the new season. Whether those names turn into actual hardware is still to be determined, but the Wolves have at least made themselves relevant again in a part of the league calendar that usually belongs to the usual suspects. [Read more 🡒]