The Minnesota Timberwolves have stayed afloat without Anthony Edwards, posting a 4-2 record to date, and LaMelo Ball has been a big part of this success. Now, he hasn't totally taken over as a shot creator. In fact, Ball ranks third on the team in field goal attempts over the past six games.
Regardless, Ball has boosted his averages to 19.7 points, 6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds with 44.8/38.9/90.5 shooting splits. Ball's difficult shot-making has been a key reason why the Wolves have had success without Ant. He can make it rain from deep against tight defensive coverage. This gives Ball the upside to erupt as a scorer on any given night. Furthermore, the resources that defenses commit to stopping Ball as a shooter create open shots for his teammates.
The most impressive part of Ball's game and the main reason he's helped the Wolves stay afloat without Ant is how he makes things easier for everyone else. Of course, this can be most visibly seen in his assists. Ball constantly scans the floor for his teammates, and he directly creates open shots in this way.
Still, LaMelo's previously noted offensive gravity and his comfort level playing off the ball are two areas in which his playmaking has helped the team beyond the raw assist numbers. Simply put, this stretch without Edwards has highlighted the best parts of Ball's skill set.
Ball's offensive skill set has uplifted the Timberwolves without Edwards
To be clear, Ball is best suited as a second option. He struggles with physicality and isn't as versatile a scorer as first options need to be. Some of these problems have popped up without Ant. For the most part, though, Ball has done a nice job of scaling up into a first option role.
The Wolves have leaned into an egalitarian style of offense without Edwards. Six players are averaging double-digit points. Likewise, the shot attempts are split among Ball (14.5), Ayo Dosunmu (16.2), Jaden McDaniels (15.3), and Jonathan Kuminga (11.7). This is a direct effect of LaMelo's willingness to get his teammates involved and play off the ball.
The creation of McDaniels and Ayo, in particular, has been vital for the Wolves' offense without Edwards. Ayo has excelled at getting to the rim and has given the Wolves' backcourt a different element from Ball. McDaniels has also done a great job of getting to the rim, while also leaning on his pull-up mid-range game.
While these players have been great, Ball has opened up advantages for them to attack, and his playmaking has helped empower them as creators. All the same, LaMelo's difficult shot-making and 3-point shooting have been a weapon for him to consistently generate offense for himself.
When the Timberwolves get Ant back, they'll have a clear-cut elite No. 1 scoring option. Nevertheless, Ball's offensive gravity, scoring ability, and playmaking will all continue to pop.
For now, this skill set will continue to help the Timberwolves survive without Edwards.
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