The Minnesota Timberwolves may be taking a swing that says as much about the Western Conference as it does about their own roster. By banking on LaMelo Ball as the missing piece, they’re trying to solve the playmaking issues that showed up against the San Antonio Spurs in the second round, where Anthony Edwards didn’t have enough help creating offense. Ball gives them a high-end answer to that problem.
That answer comes with a price, though. Minnesota is moving toward a perimeter-heavy identity at a time when the teams it has to chase - the Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder - are built around size, length, and pressure. It’s a bold bet, and it could either shrink the gap or leave the Wolves vulnerable in all the ways that matter most.
From a talent standpoint, Ball changes the equation. Both San Antonio and OKC bring high-pressure defenses, which only makes Minnesota’s need for another ball-handler and creator more obvious. The bigger question is whether the Wolves can survive the shift away from the frontcourt-first formula that has defined them for so long.
The 3-point line is where this gets especially intriguing. Minnesota finished just 13th in made 3-pointers last season, but Ball ranked third in made 3s per game. Add that to a rotation that, outside of centers Rudy Gobert and Joan Beringer, is loaded with quality shooters, and the Wolves could be looking at a very different kind of offense.
That kind of spacing could matter a lot against the West’s top tier. San Antonio has Victor Wembanyama, an all-time great rim protector.
Oklahoma City counters with Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and rookie giant Aday Mara. The idea here is simple enough: if you can’t beat those teams at the rim, maybe you beat them by making them defend the arc all night.
There’s some logic to that, too. The Thunder, despite their defensive reputation, finished in the bottom 10 in 3-point defense, and both the Spurs and Thunder are average shooting teams. Minnesota’s perimeter firepower could be a real weapon if the Wolves are less dependent on scoring inside.
But this is where the gamble turns real. The Timberwolves are light on frontcourt size, and that’s a dangerous place to be against two teams that have it in abundance.
San Antonio added more size this offseason by drafting Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed and signing Tobias Harris. Oklahoma City drafted Mara and Thomas Sorber, who is expected back from the injury that kept him sidelined, and now appears capable of running Chet at the four full-time if it wants.
Minnesota’s only true forwards right now are Jaden McDaniels and Trey Lyles. The Wolves could patch things together with a makeshift forward rotation, but against the Spurs and Thunder, that may not be enough. On the glass and on defense, the risk is obvious.
Even if Minnesota upgrades that forward room later, it still won’t have the ideal size to match those teams. That’s what makes this so fascinating. The Wolves are essentially betting that shooting and playmaking can beat size in a league where size is back in a big way.
And if that sounds familiar, it should. When Minnesota traded for Gobert in 2022, it helped push the league toward bigger frontcourts again. Tim Connelly saw where things were headed, knew the Denver Nuggets were coming after Nikola Jokic’s two MVPs, and found a solution that paid off in 2024.
Now the league has swung hard toward supersized lineups. The best teams still need guards, but frontcourt size is usually part of the package. Conventional wisdom says teams should keep doubling down on that model, especially with Wembanyama looming as the kind of force that could shape the next decade.
Minnesota may be trying to write the next answer anyway. If this works, the Wolves could be laying out a new blueprint built around 3-point shooting and playmaking to take on the Spurs and Thunder. If it doesn’t, the lack of size could make the whole thing unravel.
In Other News...
Ayo Dosunmu Could Be At Center Of Minnesota's Riskiest Experiment
Minnesotas move toward a smaller lineup has put Ayo Dosunmu in a more intriguing spot than the one he occupied as a traditional point guard. After the trades that sent Julius Randle and Naz Reid out of the picture, the Timberwolves are looking at ways to keep enough ball handling and spacing on the floor, and Dosunmus athleticism and shooting give them a player who can fit several jobs at once.
The question is whether that versatility becomes a real advantage or a compromise. Dosunmu can help on the wing, but asking him to live there full time also brings size and rebounding concerns into sharper focus, especially for a team already trying to reshape its frontcourt balance. If Minnesota is going to make this leaner look work, it may end up relying on Dosunmu in a role that is useful, but not without risk. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Fans Are Facing A Frustrating Trust Test With Tim Connelly
The Timberwolves are once again staring at a familiar kind of roster puzzle, one that leaves fans wondering whether the front office is comfortable letting the season begin with a hole still on the depth chart. Tim Connelly has built a reputation for staying active when he sees a need, and Minnesotas recent history under him suggests he is willing to keep hunting for upgrades rather than settle for a stopgap just to say the job is done.
For now, the challenge is less about urgency than patience, because the market at power forward does not appear especially rich in obvious solutions. Minnesota did add Trey Lyles, but his role is still something of a question after a year away from the NBA, and the more practical path may be to wait until the trade market opens up later in the season. For a fan base that has seen Connelly make meaningful moves before, this has the feel of a trust test: do you believe help is coming, or do you worry the answer is still out there somewhere? [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Finally Has A Shot At The NBA's Best Backcourt
Anthony Edwards finally has the kind of partner that can change the shape of Minnesotas offense, and the conversation around the Timberwolves is shifting fast. Pairing him with LaMelo Ball gives the Wolves a starting backcourt that already belongs in the leagues upper tier on paper, with enough shot creation, pace and playmaking to make opposing defenses work from the opening tip.
The real test, of course, is how it looks once the season starts and the league gets a full read on the fit. Minnesota will be measured against other elite guard tandems around the NBA, but the Wolves case is especially intriguing because the ceiling is so high and the margin for error is so small. For now, the idea of Edwards and Ball being the best backcourt in basketball is more a challenge than a conclusion, and the answer will come only after the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]