One of the main reasons that the Minnesota Timberwolves traded for LaMelo Ball was the need for extra playmaking. As such, it shouldn't come as a major surprise that Timberwolves lead executive Tim Connelly immediately discussed LaMelo's ability to elevate those around him during Ball's introductory press conference.Â
"He's such a unique player and person. He elevates people on the court and off the court. You talk to anyone around him, they talk about how much joy he finds in the game. I think that's really important... But specific to his skill set and to how it complements what we have presently, he's a lead guard; he's a real point guard, which is hard to find. I think you see the impact he has on his teammates," Connelly said.Â
Having a player who makes everyone around him better is something every team could use, but this is especially true for the Timberwolves, whose need for a true point guard has been well-discussed. This past season, Anthony Edwards had too many responsibilities as a ball-handler, and this issue hit a breaking point in the second-round against the San Antonio Spurs.
LaMelo has an ideal blend of top-tier playmaking and impressive scoring gravity, which helps open up the offense for everyone else. Connelly mentioning how Ball elevates people off the court is also relevant given the Wolves' well-documented "moodiness problem" from last season.
LaMelo Ball can help the Timberwolves reach new heights
Edwards is already a top-five level player, but it's clear he has another level to reach. Ball can help this possibility become a reality. He will make Edwards' life easier on offense, feeding him easy shots and allowing him to focus on doing what he does best as a scorer, while helping him preserve energy on defense.
Ball can also help further unlock Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert. McDaniels has continually shown flashes of offensive growth, culminating in a career-best 2025-26 season in which he averaged 14.8 points. Conversely, Gobert's lack of offensive involvement has been a key problem for the Wolves. And while this is partly due to Gobert's deficiencies, it's also partly because of the Wolves' lack of playmaking.Â
You can go down the entire roster and talk about how Ball will make their life easier. His ability to drive productive offenses is undeniable, even if you aren't a massive fan of his game. Notably, last season the Charlotte Hornets offense was 11.6 points per 100 possessions better with Ball on the court, a number that ranked in the 99th percentile per Cleaning the Glass. Furthermore, he ranked third in estimated offensive plus-minus per Dunks & Threes.
The consistent theme from the Timberwolves' last three playoff exits has been a lack of playmaking and ball-handling. They've tried to address this need by boldly trading up for Rob Dillingham in 2024 and then trading for Ayo Dosunmu at this year's deadline. The Dillingham trade didn't work out, and while Ayo proved to be an awesome fit, he doesn't have enough playmaking juice to address this playmaking void.Â
Now they finally have a truly elite playmaker who will elevate an already impressive roster while raising the team's collective mood. At the end of the day, LaMelo might prove to be the Timberwolves' missing piece.
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