Since trading for LaMelo Ball, Minnesota’s offensive ceiling has looked enormous on paper. Add Anthony Edwards, who is already playing at a top-five level, and suddenly the Timberwolves have elite creation, elite shot-making and a backcourt that can tilt a defense before it even gets set. Layer in the rest of the roster’s scoring options and athleticism, and the case for Minnesota as a monster on offense gets a lot stronger.
Monday night’s 116-97 preseason win over the Milwaukee Bucks only sharpened that picture. Yes, it’s preseason, and yes, it would be foolish to overhype one game. But the Wolves looked every bit like a team built to put serious pressure on defenses, and the talent advantage was obvious throughout.
The clearest sign came in transition. Minnesota came out flying, racking up 26 fast break points in its first preseason game after averaging 16 last season.
After rebounds, the Wolves were quick to hunt outlet passes, with LaMelo setting the tone. That kind of pace can turn a game into a track meet, and Minnesota has the bodies to make it work.
Ball is a natural fit for that style because of the way he can trigger offense immediately. Ayo Dosunmu is one of the best transition players in the sport.
Edwards brings top-end athleticism. Jonathan Kuminga and Jaden McDaniels are both built to thrive when the game speeds up.
Terrence Shannon Jr. and Joan Beringer fit that mold too. When a team can run with that many athletes and finishers, it becomes a headache for every defense it faces.
The comparison that jumps out is the 2025 Indiana Pacers and their Finals run. Minnesota can look like that kind of problem if everything clicks.
That same quick-strike mentality carried over into the half-court. The Wolves moved the ball, got into sets quickly, and kept bodies moving off the ball.
Those small choices matter. They force defenders to keep rotating, keep thinking, and keep reacting.
They also help win the possession battle. Much of that hinges on Ball, whose playmaking is the engine that can unlock the whole thing.
Against teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, both of whom pressure the ball hard, that approach should matter even more. Quick decisions can beat pressure before it has time to squeeze the life out of a possession.
Minnesota also showed how much talent it can put on the floor at once. Ball and Edwards have a real argument as the league’s best backcourt, with scoring, creation and playmaking all packed into one duo.
McDaniels and Kuminga give the Wolves two gifted forwards. Rudy Gobert and Beringer bring rim-running ability.
Ayo gives them a high-level sixth man. There are a lot of different ways for this offense to hurt you, and that’s the point.
Chris Finch’s approach was also more hands-on, something he said he would lean into during the offseason. One of the biggest changes was the increased use of pick-and-rolls.
That makes sense with Ball on the roster, since he thrives in that action, but Minnesota went a step further and used McDaniels, Kuminga and Ball as screeners too. That kind of flexibility makes the offense much harder to scout and even harder to stop.
The Wolves can beat you inside or from deep. Edwards, McDaniels, Kuminga, Shannon and Dosunmu all give them strong finishing ability, while the bigs are dangerous lob targets.
Ball and Edwards are also two of the league’s best volume shooters. That balance matters because elite offenses don’t just need one way to score; they need several.
None of this means the path is easy. The Denver Nuggets are always in the conversation with Nikola Jokic.
The Boston Celtics’ system is excellent. The Pacers should bounce back.
The Spurs and New York Knicks are coming off a Finals run and finished top five in offensive rating. The field is crowded.
Still, Minnesota now has something previous versions of this team never really had: a legitimate shot at finishing with the league’s best offense. If the pieces mesh the way they looked on Monday, the Timberwolves have the kind of firepower that can put them at the top of the offensive rating leaderboard.
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 🡒]