The Minnesota Timberwolves had one of the more active offseasons by trading for LaMelo Ball. Of course, they're trying to catch up to the two Western Conference juggernauts: the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
As you might expect, Anthony Edwards is supremely confident about the Timberwolves' chances of beating these two teams.
"Against those two teams, I think we're going to beat them," Edwards told ESPN about the Timberwolves' chances against the Thunder and Spurs during his visit to Manila.
I don't think this quote is surprising, and what else is Ant supposed to say? "Yeah, we're going to lose again." Regardless, there is some level of truth to this quote. To be clear, I wouldn't argue the Timberwolves should be title favorites, but they are significantly more viable against the Thunder and Spurs than their previous roster thanks to the addition of Ball.Â
The Timberwolves have a path to success against the Spurs and Thunder
Aside from LaMelo being a raw talent upgrade for the Timberwolves, there are two reasons why he bolsters the Wolves' chances against these two elite squads: shooting and playmaking. The Timberwolves' lack of high-end playmaking alongside Edwards has been much maligned in recent years. Both the Spurs this past season and the Thunder in 2025 exposed this flaw in the playoffs.Â
Ant is great, but he's been overtaxed because he hasn't been playing with someone who can take pressure off him as both a creator and playmaker. LaMelo changes this. Furthermore, both the Spurs and Thunder play an aggressive high-ball-pressure style of defense. As such, you need multiple ball-handling options and some high-end playmaking to offset this defense.Â
Shooting is another key piece of the puzzle. Victor Wembanyama is an all-time great rim protector, while the Thunder have two high-level rim protectors in Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. The most effective way to offset these elite rim-protecting teams is to make it rain from 3-point land. Last season, the Timberwolves ranked 14th in made 3-pointers.Â
While the NBA champion New York Knicks only ranked slightly higher (10th in 3-pointers made), their ability to often play five-out was a huge reason for their success against the Spurs. The Wolves might not be able to go five-out a lot. Thankfully, though, with LaMelo, they have a ton of high-level shooters, which in turn can negate some of the rim-protection advantages that the Spurs and Thunder provide. Ball is a difference-maker in this regard as he is a truly elite shooter.Â
The Timberwolves' ability to play fast is another factor that should be considered. We saw the Indiana Pacers nearly topple the Thunder in the 2025 Finals with this pace-and-space style.Â
None of this is to say the Timberwolves will definitely prove to be the kryptonite for the Spurs and Thunder. There are certainly some real questions about how their sudden lack of frontcourt size outside of Rudy Gobert will fare against these squads.Â
However, there is a scenario in which this style of play can help the Timberwolves topple these two teams and make a championship run. To this end, Edwards' quote isn't simply reckless confidence.Â
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