Specifically, the last two NBA champions, the New York Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder, had one aspect that they both shared, and it had nothing to do with talent or numbers. The teams genuinely enjoyed one another, and on and off the court, it was a brotherhood. This formula is something the Minnesota Timberwolves appear to be emulating this offseason.
From being regularly spotted around the training facility to organizing a team-bonding trip to Paris, Anthony Edwards seems to be embracing his role as a leader on this new-look squad, and he knows that the more they connect off the court, the more things will gel on it.
There will likely be ups and downs during the first season with a brand-new roster, but building this chemistry early is a great sign.
For different reasons -- the last few seasons haven't looked "fun"
Edwards is a player who plays his best when he's not thinking, and he's just playing basketball for what it is at the root: a kids' game. When Ant is at his peak, he's just having fun on the court, and you can usually tell when he's in that zone. Unfortunately, while his individual stats have climbed each year, the past couple of years it hasn't looked like it's always been fun.
A lot of this can be attributed to what Naz Reid described as the team's general 'moodiness' that plagued them a lot last season. When things were going well, it was great. But when adversity hit, it was like they would nose-dive off a cliff and need to course-correct.
From Ant and Julius Randle not having much on-court chemistry, to Randle and Rudy Gobert not always being on the same page, and numerous other combinations that just always seemed wonky, it was pretty evident that the tight-knit bond that champions possess wasn't always there with this team in the past, but now things seem to be trending in the right direction with LaMelo Ball.
This team is showing early championship-level signs of elite chemistry
If one of the offseason goals was to create simply a less moody and more joyful roster, then Tim Connelly definitely knocked it out of the park. He had this to say about Ball getting acclimated to his new squad: “The guy has no bad days… I think beyond the basketball fit with Ant, I think Ant is most responsive to joy and fun”
Based on this quote, it all but confirms that one of the goals was to essentially create a super happy off-court environment, because with someone like Ant as the head of the snake, that will lead to on-court success. I understand the whole "you don't have to be best friends with your co-workers" narrative, but having guys on your team that you're willing to go to war for will only help.
With training camp weeks away, the Wolves are already at an advantage because instead of taking time away from everything, they've all been beginning to build this foundation together all summer.
The vibes of this team couldn't be higher right now, and that plays a much bigger role in winning a championship than people think.
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