LaMelo Ball is about to make a lot of people rethink what they thought they knew about him.
For the Minnesota Timberwolves, he’s the kind of addition that changes the math. Anthony Edwards no longer has to carry every possession as both scorer and creator, because now he has a backcourt partner who can take real pressure off him.
That alone matters. But the bigger point is this: Ball is not just a helpful piece.
He’s one of the league’s best offensive players.
That may sound bold if you’ve spent time focusing on the flaws. The injuries are real.
The shot selection still needs cleaning up, even after a promising season last year. But the full package is hard to ignore.
At 6-foot-7, Ball brings playmaking, 3-point shooting, shot creation and the kind of offensive feel that very few players can match.
The numbers back it up.
This past season, Charlotte was 11.6 points per 100 possessions better with Ball on the floor, a figure that landed in the 99th percentile per Cleaning the Glass. Another way to frame it: the Hornets posted a 125 offensive rating with him on the court, the best mark in the league.
Over the last four seasons, Ball has ranked in the 85th percentile for net on/off offensive difference. That kind of impact doesn’t happen by accident.
He also finished third in estimated plus-minus this season, per Dunks & Threes. And for the 2026 portion of the season, Charlotte had the league’s best offensive rating and second-best net rating, with Ball driving a huge share of that success.
What makes him so valuable is the way he bends an offense. Ball is always hunting for teammates on drives, in transition and when he’s simply organizing the possession like a classic point guard.
That passing vision lifts everyone around him. Then there’s the shooting gravity.
Defenders have to account for him as a scorer, which opens more space for everybody else.
He’s not flawless. His decision-making still has rough edges.
But the shot-making is real, and so is the range. This past season, Ball ranked second in total made 3-pointers and third in made 3s per game.
Edwards, for comparison, ranked sixth in made 3s per game this past season and first in total 3s in the 2024-25 season.
That’s what makes this pairing so dangerous. Edwards is already one of the league’s most complete scorers, a three-level threat who can function as an offensive engine without being a top-tier playmaker. Ball brings a different kind of engine - one built on creation, pace and constant pressure on a defense.
Together, the fit is obvious. The Timberwolves now have two offensive engine-level guards whose games complement each other cleanly.
And because Minnesota is a real contender, Ball won’t be tucked away in the background anymore. People are going to see just how much he can tilt a game.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Just Got A Serious Warning About Anthony Edwards Future
The Timberwolves have already spent part of the offseason reshaping the roster, bringing in LaMelo Ball while moving on from Julius Randle and Naz Reid, and the result is a thinner frontcourt with Rudy Gobert now standing as the lone dependable anchor there. Even with Anthony Edwards still at the center of everything Minnesota wants to be, the broader picture is hard to ignore: the team has not yet turned his rise into the kind of sustained success that usually keeps a franchise star locked in for the long haul.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report has even gone as far as to flag Edwards as one of the next stars who could eventually ask out if the Timberwolves keep coming up short. The concern is less about one bad stretch than the possibility of another season that starts unevenly or ends with more frustration than progress, and that is the kind of backdrop that can change the conversation around a player of Edwards' stature fast. [Read more 🡒]
Why LeBron To The Timberwolves Suddenly Feels Real
LeBron James next move has become one of the leagues most intriguing summer storylines, and Minnesota has quietly worked its way into the conversation. With his split from the Lakers now looming and the possibility that he would consider a veteran-minimum deal, the Timberwolves suddenly look less like a long shot and more like a team that could at least make a basketball case for itself.
The appeal starts with fit and ends with opportunity. Minnesota already has enough talent to matter, but adding James would give the Wolves a different kind of gravity, one that could help them chase the franchises first championship while giving him a chance to change the story again in a fourth NBA city. The question is whether that kind of pairing is realistic, or whether this is just the rare rumor that feels plausible because the pieces almost line up too neatly. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Are About To Learn If Joan Beringer Is Ready
Joan Beringer is about to get a much closer look than he did a year ago, and the timing matters for the Timberwolves. With Julius Randle and Naz Reid unavailable, Minnesota is expected to lean on Beringer in a meaningful way this season, turning what once looked like a developmental project into a real rotation question. He flashed promise as a rookie, but the Wolves still need to know how much of that upside is ready to translate into steady NBA minutes.
Summer League will offer the first clear checkpoint, and it should reveal whether Beringer is moving beyond raw tools and into dependable production. The biggest questions are familiar for a young big: staying disciplined on defense without getting into foul trouble, and adding more to his game offensively than just finishing plays around the rim. If he can show progress in those areas, Minnesotas frontcourt picture gets a lot more interesting. [Read more 🡒]