There are so many layers to the Minnesota Timberwolves' LaMelo Ball trade. One that has gone under the radar, though, is how Ball will help the Timberwolves in clutch-time situations.
Last season, the Wolves were an average clutch-time team, ranking 16th in clutch net rating and 19th in clutch offensive rating. Furthermore, they ranked 28th in clutch turnover percentage. Wolves fans have been accustomed to blowing big regular-season leads and clutch-time collapses. In the Anthony Edwards era, the Wolves have never ranked above average in clutch-time offensive rating. That's staggering given Ant's immense talent.
Regardless, many of these issues can be traced back to not having a true point guard and, beyond that, not having a dependable creator alongside Edwards. Thankfully, LaMelo will solve this problem and, in turn, elevate the Timberwolves' clutch-time offense.
LaMelo Ball is the perfect remedy to the Timberwolves' clutch-time woes
By becoming a more consistent mid-range threat, Edwards elevated his clutch-time play last season. He ranked second in clutch points per game while shooting 56.5 percent from the field. Still, one player isn't enough to solve all of the team's clutch problems.
The Wolves clearly lacked someone who could stabilize and initiate the offense outside of Edwards. As such, they became overly predictable in clutch games. Additionally, teams could get away with trapping the Timberwolves' ball-handlers and selling out on Ant.
Having a supremely gifted playmaker who can also create his own shot should solve this problem and make this strategy ineffective. As a result, the Timberwolves will become much more dangerous in clutch-time situations and once the playoffs roll around.
Per Basketball Index, LaMelo ranked in the 98th percentile for playmaking talent and the 97th percentile for on-ball gravity last season. Simply put, Ant has never shared the court with a player like this, and it should be a game-changer.
Despite the Timberwolves' shaky supporting cast and their general mediocrity in clutch games, dealing with Edwards was still a handful for opposing defenses. Now, imagine dealing with him coming off screens while still creating for himself, and having to account for another star-level on-ball talent. That sounds like a nightmare to defend, right?
Overall, the Timberwolves were 19-14 in clutch games. This is actually a pretty respectable number, and you can't ask for perfection in clutch games. Nevertheless, Minnesota left a lot of wins on the table with their subpar clutch play. In an 82-game regular season, these margins matter. The Wolves finished as the No. 6 seed in the West in part due to their clutch-time mediocrity.
Improving in the clutch, while generally being a much more prolific offense, could help the Wolves surge to a top-three seed, and Ball can play a significant role in this transformation.
LaMelo will uplift the Timberwolves' offense in every possible way, but there might not be a more visible area of improvement than how he helps them in clutch situations. Given how much success the Timberwolves had while often struggling in clutch games, if Ball can solve this issue, the sky is truly the limit for this squad.
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