This new Minnesota Timberwolves squad is making it extremely tough to not overreact to one preseason game against a Milwaukee Bucks team that is projected to be in the relegation zone this season. However, I just can't help it. The offense had a polar opposite vibe to it, in a good way, and it's mostly thanks to LaMelo Ball.
As soon as the trade was made, everyone knew that the Wolves' offense would be completely reshaped to fit Ball's skill set, but seeing it in action for the first time was a giant breath of fresh air. It was a heavy dose of pick-and-roll while simultaneously playing extremely fast and decisively.
Compared to the one-dimensional and stale offense of the past few years, seeing an offense with both structure and free-flowing components will be a sight for sore eyes.
Get ready for the Timberwolves to run a ton of pick-and-rolls
The pick-and-roll is a pretty standard offensive structure, but in recent years, the Wolves haven't had the personnel to run it effectively. The lack of effective point guard play has heavily hindered the Wolves from running certain actions. Now not only have the Wolves solved their point guard dilemma, but they have one of the best pick-and-roll operators in the league.
Ball was running it with everyone. He had Rudy Gobert and Joan Beringer constantly setting on-ball screens, and he also ran some slip screens with Anthony Edwards and other shooters. Not only is Ball the one initiating it, but his presence has clearly rubbed off on the team.
I saw Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu, Bones Hyland, and Jaden McDaniels all run successful pick-and-rolls in the first half, and despite it only being preseason, the glimpses of the machine that this offense can turn into were both real and loud. That one half of a pick-and-roll-centric offense looked more fluid than 80 percent of offensive possessions last year.
There's not a lot of ball-stopping besides the occasional Anthony Edwards isolation, but that's good offense too. Ball is able to generate shots for the entire on-court lineup while still being a major threat himself offensively.
Again, it was only one half in a game that ultimately doesn't matter. The Wolves could come out next game and stink it up offensively, but that's what preseason is for: to work out the kinks. One thing is for certain, though: the slow, lethargic, and turnover-prone Wolves offense of old is no longer.
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