The Minnesota Timberwolves’ biggest issue might also be their best one.
There’s a real question hanging over this roster: how do you sort out the usage for Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, Ayo Dosunmu, Terrence Shannon Jr., Rudy Gobert, and Joan Beringer? That’s a lot of players who need the ball in their hands to matter, especially with Kuminga now in the mix after signing in late August. It’s fair to wonder how the fit works and to expect some bumps along the way.
But that’s the kind of problem teams want.
For most of the offseason, Minnesota’s clearest weakness was at power forward. Kuminga changed that.
After that, the next concern became frontcourt depth, but even that doesn’t rise to the level of a true roster hole. What’s left is less about a glaring flaw and more about figuring out how to sort through too many useful pieces.
That’s a much nicer dilemma than being stuck trying to cover for a weakness everybody can see.
The Wolves have one of the league’s more complete rosters on both sides of the floor, and that’s why the usage question stands out so much. The challenge isn’t lack of talent. It’s that there may be too much of it.
And there are ways to make it work.
Minnesota has plenty of shot creation, which should make its offense tough to defend. If opponents try to hide a weak defender on Gobert, that can just open the door for McDaniels or Kuminga.
Unless the center is highly mobile, that kind of coverage can unravel fast. More likely, one of those two ends up drawing the weak link, and both can take advantage.
Pushing the pace should help too. Last season, the Wolves ranked 10th in both transition points and pace, and those numbers should climb with Ball and Kuminga added to the group.
A faster game gives everyone more chances to score in rhythm and find easy baskets. It also fits the way most of this roster already plays.
Ball’s playmaking is another key piece of the solution. An elite passer who keeps looking to create for others can naturally spread the floor and keep everyone involved.
There’s even a blueprint for it. The Indiana Pacers’ 2025 Finals run showed how a team with multiple creators, a fast tempo, and a high-level playmaker can make the whole thing click. The Timberwolves could follow that model.
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Timberwolves Starters Each Face One Issue That Could Define This Season
The Timberwolves spent the offseason reshaping the top of their roster after injuries and uneven play exposed enough flaws to force real change. Trading Julius Randle and Naz Reid for LaMelo Ball and signing Jonathan Kuminga gave Minnesota a different look in the starting group, one built less around familiarity and more around the idea that internal growth can clean up what went wrong a year ago.
Now the early pressure points are clear. Ball has to adjust to a role that asks him to fit next to Anthony Edwards rather than drive everything himself, while Kuminga is stepping into the power forward spot with the job of bringing more juice on both ends. Minnesota is banking on that combination, plus a sharper defensive commitment, to raise the floor of a lineup that still has plenty to prove. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Could Face A Tough Rudy Gobert Call Sooner Than Expected
The Timberwolves frontcourt picture could look very different a year from now if the right pieces start to click. Joan Beringer is expected to open with limited minutes, but the organization clearly sees a path for him to grow into a quality starter, and that kind of development would change the long-term math around Rudy Gobert. Add Jonathan Kuminga into the mix on a short-term deal, and Minnesota suddenly has another moving part to weigh as it tries to balance present-day contention with future flexibility.
Minnesotas decision on Gobert would not come lightly, but salary cap realities always have a way of forcing the issue. If Beringer keeps progressing and Kuminga settles in as more than a temporary solution, the Wolves could face a difficult call next offseason about whether to keep paying for an elite veteran center or pivot toward a younger, cheaper structure. For now, it is more of a planning exercise than a deadline, but it is the kind of roster question that can sneak up fast. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Preseason Will Decide Which Young Guards Earn Finchs Trust
The Timberwolves are headed toward a preseason that should say plenty about the back end of Chris Finchs rotation, especially among the young guards trying to carve out a role before the real games begin. Minnesota has six exhibition games on the schedule, and the next two weeks should give Jaylen Clark, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Cody Williams a chance to show they can handle the speed, decision-making and consistency Finch wants from his reserves.
For that trio, the opportunity is as much about trust as it is about raw talent. Clark and Shannon have each flashed enough to stay in the conversation, while Williams arrives with a different kind of spotlight after being brought in from Utah as part of the maneuvering that opened room for Minnesota to pursue Jonathan Kuminga. The preseason wont solve everything, but it should clarify which of these young wings is ready to force Finchs hand when the regular season begins. [Read more 🡒]