By trading for LaMelo Ball, the Minnesota Timberwolves shifted their identity in a major way. Since the Rudy Gobert trade in 2022, the Timberwolves' identity had centered around frontcourt size. Now, they're adopting a more perimeter-centric identity.
During a recent appearance on Bleacher Report's NBA Insider Notebook with Jake Fischer and Marc Stein, Chris Finch gave fans a peek behind the curtain regarding Minnesota's roster-building philosophy.
“We decided to zig when everyone else was zagging with small lineups. It started with KAT. But now we are doing it again. We are going where we find the best talent, and we are going to continue to craft our identity around that.” Finch said.
To me, this makes a lot of sense. When you have an opportunity to trade for talent at a position of need, you do just that. From there, you create your identity. Four years ago, Minnesota needed a rim protector. After this past playoff run, it became clear that the Wolves sorely needed a co-star and another playmaker alongside Anthony Edwards.
They had the opportunity to trade for Ball. It required them to gut their frontcourt, but given this need and Ball's talent, they had to make this move.
Why a perimeter-centric identity can work for the Timberwolves
While fit is becoming increasingly important, the NBA remains a talent-driven league. To this end, when you have a chance to add a talent like LaMelo or Gobert before him, you make this move and reconfigure your identity from there. Plus, as noted, trading for Ball and Gobert filled clear team needs.
Nevertheless, in some ways, both moves can be seen as a bold departure from league trends at the time. In 2022, small ball was still fairly prevalent. The Wolves became one of the teams that ushered in the new supersized era. Now, the league is dominated by teams with massive frontcourts, including the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference.
Going smaller in an era with the Spurs and Thunder could be seen as a head-scratcher. However, the reality is that you need 3-point shooting to offset the rim protection advantages that these teams present. Furthermore, adding ball-handling is a must against these high-pressure defenses; Minnesota learned this the hard way during its second-round matchup with San Antonio.
As such, leaning into a perimeter identity makes sense, in addition to the talent upgrade that LaMelo provides.
The Wolves also still have plus positional size across the roster, and Gobert remains an elite rim protector. They need some extra frontcourt depth, without a doubt. Regardless, the Wolves' perimeter identity could help usher in a new blueprint to compete with the Spurs and Thunder.
More than anything else, the NBA is about adapting. Whether that be to league trends, your team's needs or simply your roster. Tim Connelly and the Timberwolves have proven they're as adaptable as it gets, and they have also proven to be trend setters at this point. Hopefully, this version of the team can help them get over the championship hump.
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