One major gripe that some Minnesota Timberwolves fans have with Chris Finch is his lack of offensive structure. With LaMelo Ball arriving in Minnesota, Finch will need to balance adding some structure and empowering Ball as a decision-maker. One fairly simple adjustment is to run more pick-and-rolls.
Last season, the Timberwolves ranked in the bottom 10 for pick-and-roll frequency per NBA.com. Part of this could be their lack of natural playmaking. Regardless, Ball is a true pick-and-roll maestro, and not utilizing this part of his game would be a disservice.
Thankfully, there's some evidence that Finch will up the Timberwolves' pick-and-roll frequency. During an interview with Chris Hine of The Star Tribune, Finch discussed taking on more of a hands-on approach this upcoming season. Surely this should involve more pick-and-rolls along with finding other dependable offensive actions.
Leaning into the pick-and-roll game is vital with LaMelo Ball
The Charlotte Hornets ended last season with the top-ranked offense in the 2026 portion of the season. Charles Lee ran some of the most creative sets in the league, which was undeniably a big factor in their success. Notably, the Hornets ranked first in pick-and-roll ball-handler frequency per NBA.com.
I'm not saying the Wolves need to run as many pick-and-rolls as Charlotte did, but they must up their frequency in order to maximize Ball's impressive skill set. Furthermore, the Timberwolves are hoping LaMelo can unlock Rudy Gobert, and the best way to accomplish this goal is to hammer pick-and-rolls.
Lee's system with the Hornets also utilized pick-and-rolls in creative ways, including guard-to-guard PNRs, Ram action (down screen to set up on a ball screen), and Spain PNR (a ball screen followed by a back screen). If Finch is looking to have a more hands-on approach, utilizing some of these wrinkles more often could be beneficial.
We've seen Ball have success in systems with these actions, and in general, they give your offense a lot of optionality. Last season, the Wolves ranked 14th in offensive rating per Cleaning the Glass. With LaMelo in the fold, they should rank much higher, and Finch can help them rise up the ranks.
Balancing letting your stars create plays and implementing some set plays is surely tricky. I think there are a lot of advantages to Finch's typical free-flowing style of offense, and we will surely see LaMelo be empowered as a decision-maker.
At the same time, some extra layers of structure and set plays could be beneficial, particularly with two high-usage guards in Ball and Anthony Edwards. Making the pick-and-roll game a more consistent part of the offense is a great place to start in terms of leaning into a bit more structure.
While this will be a change for Finch, all earlier signs point to it being a change that he's willing to make, which, paired with LaMelo's immense talent, could help the Timberwolves reach new heights.
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