Shaquille O’Neal didn’t hide his reaction to LaMelo Ball’s answer about the Timberwolves’ season.
Ball, speaking on Inside the NBA before his regular season debut with Minnesota, was asked by Ernie Johnson what he expected from the year. His response was measured, almost stubbornly low-key: “I don’t really throw expectations on nothing. I just go out there and give it my all, try to be the best we can be, and let that be where it’s at,” Ball said.
That didn’t land well with O’Neal, who wanted to hear something bigger from a player joining a team with real ambitions.
“His mindset needs to change. I was kind of baffled by that answer.
At least say playoffs or something. Expectations for them are to win a championship,” Shaquille O’Neal said.
O’Neal went even further, pointing to what Minnesota could become if everything clicks around Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert.
“You have a guy that, if he plays well, will be talked about as MVP (Anthony Edwards), and if everything goes well with their role players and Rudy Gobert has one or two breakout games like he had last year, then they have a chance to make some noise in the West. But for that, (LaMelo Ball) needs to change his mindset,” O’Neal further added.
Ball, a former NBA All-Star, is trying to get back to that level after dealing with injuries in recent years. In his first fully healthy season since 2021-22, he finished the 2025-26 campaign with averages of 20.1 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 40.7% from the field and 36.8% from three.
Even with the critique, O’Neal still viewed Ball’s arrival in Minnesota as the summer’s most meaningful move.
“My favorite move is the Minnesota move for LaMelo. Let me explain why.
Anthony Edwards is a very exciting player, but he’s having his thing about having the ball most of the time. If he gets off the ball a little bit and you let him pass half court, then when he gets the ball and makes a move, it’s gonna make him a more dynamic player,” Shaquille O’Neal explained.
“We heard him complain for most of the postseason that every time he came off the pick and roll, he was doubled. If he lets LaMelo control the game and comes off the ball like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant used to, then you get to do your thing, and that’s what I’m looking forward to the most,” he further added.
Edwards is coming off a season that stirred debate around the MVP race after he was ruled ineligible for voting. He still put up 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 48.9% from the floor and 39.9% from deep.
Ball’s interview also made waves for reasons beyond basketball. Asked about changing his nine-month-old son’s diaper, he said, “Nah, my girl do all that.
We’ve got a good game plan, I know what I got to bring to the table, she knows what she’s gotta bring to the table,” Ball said when Ernie Johnson asked him about changing his nine-month-old son’s diaper. “I definitely did it before; it’s just not my job, you know what I’m saying?”
He also had praise for Edwards as a teammate.
“An ultimate competitor for sure… Being with him every day is really amazing. Just us trying to get better to help the team, individually too. It’ll all go together, and we just try to make this work as best as we can,” Ball said about Edwards.
Minnesota’s opening-night matchup with the Heat gives the new backcourt its first chance to show what it can do against a defense-first opponent. If Ball and Edwards can share the floor and share the load, the Timberwolves may have something dangerous brewing in the West.
In Other News...
Timberwolves May Have Bought Themselves More Time Than Fans Realize
The Timberwolves have quietly given themselves a longer runway than the current urgency around the roster might suggest. Jaden McDaniels is now tied to the club with a contract extension that does not kick in until the 2029-30 season, which helps add another layer of continuity around a group that already has Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu, Jaylen Clark and Joan Beringer under contract for the next few years.
Minnesotas bigger questions are still right in front of it, though, because not every important piece is locked in the same way. The front office will still have to navigate decisions around veterans and supporting players as Rudy Gobert and Jonathan Kuminga hold player options for next season, while Donte DiVincenzo is headed for unrestricted free agency after this year. That means the Wolves have some stability to lean on, but the shape of the roster could still shift faster than the McDaniels deal alone makes it seem. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Kuminga Faces An Early Wolves Test Fans Will Be Watching
Jonathan Kuminga is set to make his Minnesota Timberwolves debut against the Miami Heat, and the first thing fans will look for is how he handles a frontcourt that can punish any lapse in positioning. Minnesota has leaned on Kumingas recent rebounding improvement, and this matchup immediately puts that progress under a microscope against one of the leagues most physical interior presences.
For the Wolves, the challenge is bigger than just surviving a tough individual assignment. Kumingas ability to stay connected defensively and hold up on the glass could shape how well Minnesota manages the rest of the game around him, especially with Miami capable of turning a single matchup into a problem for the entire offense. If he can steady that end of the floor early, it would go a long way toward making his debut feel like more than just a first look. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Opening Night Rotation Leaves One Immediate Battle To Watch
The Timberwolves head into their regular season opener against the Heat with most of the familiar core in place, but the lineup puzzle is not fully solved yet. Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert are expected to carry the same kind of workloads they have in recent seasons, while new point guard Ball projects to settle into a heavy role right away at around 32 minutes a night.
The bigger question is what happens once the game gets into its closing stretch, because the starting group is not necessarily the same one that will be on the floor when it matters most. Ayo Dosunmu is slated to be the first man off the bench, and the second unit will likely be shaped by performance and matchups, leaving players such as Joan Beringer and Terrence Shannon Jr. in a constant battle for minutes as the season begins. [Read more 🡒]