The Timberwolves’ first two weeks have already turned into a reality check.
Minnesota opened the 2026-27 season with three wins in its first four games, and there was plenty to like in the early stretch. Anthony Edwards looked better than ever, and LaMelo Ball seemed to give the roster another jolt of shot creation.
But the mood has shifted fast. The Wolves have dropped three of their last four, including Saturday’s 121-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, and now they’re bracing for several weeks without Edwards after surgery on his right knee.
That leaves Minnesota with a lot to sort through, and the early sample has already put three issues front and center.
Start with Rudy Gobert, whose value has always been tied more to what he does near the rim than to any big scoring night. This season, though, even that part of his game has been uneven.
He’s averaging seven points per game and shooting 41.2% from the field, which is a rough number for a center who makes his living around the basket. Minnesota needs him to cash in on the chances that come his way, especially when the offense is scraping for points elsewhere.
The bigger issue is that the Timberwolves also need Gobert to punish smaller defenders and keep defenses honest when they put a shorter player on him near the rim. That hasn’t happened with enough consistency.
He is still rebounding at a strong clip, averaging 12.3 per game, but Minnesota needs more than boards from its starting center. His paint protection and ability to discourage attacks at the basket are a major part of what the Wolves are built on, and when that presence slips, the whole defense becomes easier to challenge.
Gobert also missed Saturday’s loss in San Antonio because of back spasms, which left Minnesota without its starting center against Victor Wembanyama. That absence mattered, but the concerns about Gobert’s play were already there before the Spurs game.
Ball was supposed to help solve some of the offensive burden by giving Minnesota another creator beside Edwards. He has flashed that upside.
He can push the tempo, make difficult passes and create chances for teammates that most players simply don’t see. His 24-point performance against the Clippers stood out as a strong example of what he can bring when things are rolling.
But the follow-up has been uneven. Ball scored eight points against Golden State and then 10 against San Antonio.
With Edwards out, that kind of production is not enough from the starting point guard. When Ball isn’t hunting his own shot or can’t find a rhythm, too much pressure shifts to the rest of the roster.
There are also the decision-making issues. Ball’s aggression can be a weapon, but it doesn’t always lead to good possessions.
Fouling has been part of the problem too, with multiple games already forcing him into limited minutes because he wasn’t smart. Turnovers and shaky shot selection can wipe out a lot of the good he creates as a passer.
Minnesota doesn’t need Ball to become Edwards. It does need him to be a steadier scorer. His playmaking matters, but the Wolves can’t afford long stretches where he disappears offensively.
That becomes even more important with Edwards expected to miss significant time. He’s the engine of the offense for a reason. Through the first four games, he was putting up 33.3 points per game and showing exactly why Minnesota leans on him to create his own shot, attack the basket and take over when the team needs a bucket most.
Now the Wolves have to replace that production without a true one-for-one answer.
The roster does have options. Ball, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland can all help.
McDaniels has shown he can handle a bigger scoring load, Dosunmu has chipped in useful offense, and Hyland has recently given the bench another scoring spark. Still, the challenge is whether that group can produce enough together on a consistent basis.
That’s the real concern. Minnesota can survive if different players step up on different nights, but that’s a shaky way to live over time, especially in the half-court when opponents can key in on the first option. The Wolves need more stability, and they need it from multiple places.
Edwards’ absence will give the rest of the roster a chance to show what it can do in expanded roles. But the early returns have made the problem clear: if Gobert and Ball don’t level up, Minnesota could have a much tougher time getting through this stretch than it hoped.
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LaMelo Ball Faces A Real Wolves Test In Bigger Spotlight
LaMelo Ball is about to get a different kind of Minnesota spotlight, one that usually comes with playoff-level scrutiny and very little room to breathe. The discussion around him has centered on how he handles physical perimeter defense, and the upcoming matchup offers a clean test for that part of his game, with the Wolves watching closely to see whether his shooting and playmaking hold up when the pressure ramps up.
Without Anthony Edwards in the mix, the defensive attention on Ball figures to be even sharper, which makes the matchup feel less like a routine regular-season night and more like a preview of the kind of resistance he would have to solve in a bigger setting. For Minnesota, the appeal is obvious: if Ball can keep creating against that sort of resistance, it strengthens the case that his game can translate when the stakes rise. [Read more 🡒]
LaMelo Ball Is Creating A Problem The Wolves Can't Afford Right Now
LaMelo Balls early run with Minnesota has come with a frustrating pattern the Timberwolves cant really ignore. Through the first seven games, foul trouble has followed him in six of them, cutting into his rhythm and limiting him to an average of 26 minutes a night at a time when the team is already trying to hold things together without Anthony Edwards.
The latest example came against the Spurs, when Ball was whistled early and never fully settled in. Minnesota needs his playmaking and energy on the floor, but the defensive lapses have kept undercutting that value, including a sequence against Victor Wembanyama that summed up the problem: too much contact, too little availability, and not enough margin for error right now. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Suddenly Look Like A Team To Watch In Trade Talks
Anthony Edwards injury is the latest jolt in what has already become a rough early stretch around the NBA, and it lands especially hard for Minnesota. With several All-Stars already dealing with major setbacks, including Jalen Williams season-ending leg injury, the leagues opening weeks have started to feel less like a clean evaluation period and more like a stress test for front offices trying to hold their plans together.
For the Timberwolves, the immediate concern is obvious: Edwards is central to everything they do, and any extended absence changes the tone of the season before it really settles in. Around the league, injuries of this size tend to ripple beyond the standings, and this one could have front offices watching the calendar a little more closely as November approaches and trade chatter starts to pick up. [Read more 🡒]