The first preseason look at this new Minnesota Timberwolves offense came with all the caveats you’d expect. It was only one game, and the opponent was a Milwaukee Bucks team projected to be in the relegation zone this season. Still, it was hard not to notice how different everything felt.
The biggest reason for that shift was LaMelo Ball. Once the trade happened, the idea was clear: Minnesota’s offense was going to be built around his skill set.
Seeing it in action for the first time made that plan feel very real. The Wolves leaned hard into pick-and-roll action, and they did it with pace, purpose, and a lot more decisiveness than fans have seen in recent years.
That alone made the whole thing feel like a fresh start. After years of an offense that often looked one-note and stale, this version had structure without feeling rigid. There was movement, there was flow, and there was a clear engine driving it.
The pick-and-roll should be a major feature here, and it already looks like the Wolves have the personnel to make it work. In recent seasons, they simply didn’t have the point guard play to run that kind of offense effectively. That problem is gone now, and Ball gives them one of the league’s best operators in that space.
He was everywhere in it. Rudy Gobert and Joan Beringer repeatedly set on-ball screens for him, and Ball also worked some slip actions with Anthony Edwards and other shooters.
But this wasn’t just Ball initiating everything. His style seemed to spread through the group.
In the first half alone, Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu, Bones Hyland, and Jaden McDaniels all had successful pick-and-roll possessions. Even with the preseason disclaimer attached, the early signs were obvious. One half of a pick-and-roll-heavy offense already looked more fluid than 80 percent of the team’s possessions from last year.
There wasn’t much ball-stopping, aside from the occasional Anthony Edwards isolation, and even that fits. Ball can create for everyone on the floor while still forcing defenses to respect his own scoring threat. That’s the kind of balance Minnesota has been missing.
In Other News...
Joan Beringer Could Fix A Timberwolves Problem Fans Know Too Well
Joan Beringer enters his second season with a clear opening on the Minnesota Timberwolves roster: the chance to handle the minutes behind Rudy Gobert. For a team that has long had to manage the non-Gobert stretches carefully, that matters. Beringers appeal is straightforward enough for a coaching staff to appreciate. He brings athleticism, a promising defensive profile and enough presence around the basket to give Minnesota a different look at center when the starter sits.
The bigger question is how much of that potential shows up right away. Beringer is still a developing player, but his value could reach beyond simple backup duty if his defense translates the way the Wolves hope and his offense adds some easy finish opportunities at the rim. For a team built on making life difficult for opponents, even modest progress there could make a noticeable difference in the minutes that have too often been a soft spot. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Finch Sees One Early Sign Wolves Fans Will Love In LaMelo Ball
As Minnesota settles into the early stages of the season, Chris Finch has been paying close attention to LaMelo Balls fit and, more importantly, to the parts of his game that can sharpen the Timberwolves right away. The coachs perspective matters here because Minnesota is not looking for a reinvention so much as a seamless addition of talent, and Finchs read on Ball has centered on the idea that the guard can bring his usual style without being boxed into something unfamiliar.
The encouraging part for Wolves fans is the way Finch has framed Balls preseason work on the defensive end, where Minnesota has been searching for signs that his tools can translate beyond the highlight plays. With his length and awareness already drawing notice alongside Rudy Gobert, there is at least a real opening for Ball to contribute in a way that fits the Wolves identity, even if the full picture of his role is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Joan Beringer Just Gave Timberwolves Fans A Reason To Watch Him Closely
Joan Beringer gave the Timberwolves a useful look in their preseason meeting with the Bucks, showing why the front office is still intrigued by his long-term upside in the frontcourt. The young big man looked more comfortable as a screener and more dependable around the rim than he did as a rookie, which matters for a Minnesota team that is always searching for size and reliability inside.
The performance also came with a reminder that his development is still a work in progress. Foul trouble clipped his stint and kept him from building on the strong stretches he flashed, leaving the Wolves with the same kind of question they have had around him all along: how quickly can he turn promising tools into something they can count on every night? [Read more 🡒]