The Timberwolves have two headliners in Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball, but even Minnesota isn’t built to keep them stapled to the floor for 48 minutes.
That was the takeaway from Chris Finch’s answer when Britt Robson of MinnPost asked whether the Wolves would need one of the two on the court at all times. Finch didn’t frame it as a must.
“Right now, as I look at it, I don’t feel that we need (one or the other) of those guys on the floor for all 48," Finch said.
The biggest obstacle is Ball’s workload. Minnesota is expected to be careful with his minutes, which makes the idea of always staggering him with Edwards much tougher in practice. Ball’s track record in Charlotte explains why.
During his first six seasons with the Hornets, Ball dealt with injuries, especially around his ankles. Last season, though, he was on the floor far more often, appearing in 72 games at age 25. It was only the second time in his career that he played in more than 55 games.
Charlotte also trimmed his minutes. Ball logged a career-low 28.0 minutes per game, down from the 33.2 minutes he averaged over the previous three seasons, when he played just 105 games total. The lighter load worked.
Minnesota hasn’t said exactly how it will handle him, but a slightly bigger role - something around 30 minutes per game - seems likely. Even at that number, Ball would still be off the court for 18 minutes every night.
That means Edwards will have stretches without him, too. Ant will be on the floor to start games and to close them, but he also needs rest, and there’s no realistic way for him to cover all 18 of Ball’s off-court minutes.
So while the ideal is obvious, the Wolves simply don’t have a clean path to it. Jaden McDaniels, Ayo Dosunmu, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Bones Hyland will need to help carry those non-Edwards, non-Ball minutes, and all four have shown they can do it in bursts.
It shouldn’t be a huge chunk of the game, and that could change in the playoffs if Ball’s minutes rise. For now, though, Minnesota’s top two scorers are going to have to share the floor and the rest of the roster will have to handle the gaps.
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