The Minnesota Timberwolves are betting on LaMelo Ball being able to fix the flaws that have thus far prevented his generational talent from materializing as a superstar's makeup. Ball is a force of nature as a playmaker and shot maker, but his decision-making has been criticized through his first six seasons.
Thankfully, head coach Chris Finch is already identifying Ball's areas of weakness and pinpointing what the All-Star needs to do to make the final leap to superstardom—and he isn't afraid to openly speak about it.
Ball spent the first six seasons of his career with the Charlotte Hornets, three times leading the team to the Play-In Tournament. Despite the peaks of his success, his tendency to commit preventable turnovers, inefficiency as a finisher, and questionable shot selection have thus far prevented the ascension that once appeared inevitable for the 2021 Rookie of the Year.
During a recent interview with Britt Robson of MinnPost, Finch spoke candidly about how Ball has the ability to make the bad shots he takes, but relies on them too much to properly amplify the impact he's capable of making on a game.
"He can make all those shots he takes, but making a living off of those shots is different and very hard to do. So I think there needs to be some redistribution on how he shoots. It is like anything else: If you want to be a good shooter, the first thing you should do is get rid of the bad shots. He does take some — and he can make them. But I think he has relied heavily on it."
Finch continued, explaining that the other element of Ball's game that he feels needs refinement is his finishing—and that his elite playmaking ability may have created something of a mental block that the All-Star must overcome.
"The second piece is the finishing aspect. I think he goes into the paint a lot of the time as a passer, with a passing mentality — because he is so elite at it. So he might lose the mentality of how he wants to finish; the finishing becomes more of an afterthought, or simply escaping the shot-blocker, or whatever."
Finch's feedback certainly aligns with what the numbers reveal about Ball's strengths, weaknesses, and the gap between what he can do and what he currently offers.
Chris Finch gets candid about what's holding LaMelo Ball back
Ball is a tremendous talent. This past season, he averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 3.8 three-point field goals made per game on .407/.368/.899 shooting. Those numbers are in line with his career averages of 20.8 points, 7.3 assists, 5.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 3.2 three-point field goals made per game on .418/.365/.847 shooting.
Ball made serious progress by cutting his turnovers from 3.6 per game in 2024-25 to 2.8 in 2025-26, which offers reason to believe he can improve in other areas, as well.
In saying that, those numbers also reveal flaws in his approach. For instance, he shot 36.5 percent from beyond the arc and attempted 10.3 three per game. That narrowly eclipses the league average of 36.0 percent, but his shot selection is often lackluster considering what he's capable of.
According to Basketball Index, Ball ranked in the third percentile in three-point shot quality. Furthermore, Ball's second-highest frequency of field goal attempts are after he completes at least seven dribbles—and he shoots just 38.1 percent from the field in those scenarios.
Thankfully, Finch has already identified improving the quality of Ball's attempts as a key element of strengthing the value of his possessions.
Chris Finch identifying growth areas for LaMelo Ball is a great start
Finch's other key note was a matter of Ball's inefficiency when attacking the basket. That's supported by the numbers. He ranked in the 18th percentile in rim field goal percentage and shot 9.4 percent below the league average within eight feet of the rim.
Ball still causes defenses to respect his every move, as he ranked in the 97th percentile in on-ball gravity and the 94th percentile in off-ball gravity, per Basketball Index, but he must improve his finishing.
Come the playoffs, players who struggle to convert shots from within the arc are typically run off the three-point line. Ball is talented enough that he should still be able to get shots up, but on the nights when his jumper isn't falling, he needs to be able to create penetration and finish with efficiency.
Thankfully, Finch already seems to have a strong idea of what Ball needs to work on to go from a one-time All-Star to a perennial selectee. More importantly, he seems to know how Ball can help the Timberwolves contend.
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