The Timberwolves Are Poised To Be Lob City 2.0

See where this is going? Let the comparisons begin.

National Backcourt Praise

Fans of smaller-market teams know they often don’t see their team discussed at a national level. While last season’s playoff run may have something to do with it—dignitaries now seemingly can’t get enough of Minnesota. ESPN‘s Stephen A. Smith described the new-look Wolves as “a show” and said they “put America on notice” in an NBA Courtside post on X.com.

Hearing Anthony Edwards‘ name in MVP conversations after fewer than 3 regular-season games feels like living on an alternate plane. For once, it’s not frivolous or facetious. This is real, and so are the Timberwolves. Don’t believe me? Take it from ESPN NBA Analyst and former player Kendrick Perkins, who predicted Minnesota’s backcourt would lead the league in scoring.

ClutchPoints captured the clip from Fanatics Sports‘ ‘Road Trippin Show‘ on YouTube, where Perkins calls LaMelo Ball and Edwards “The best backcourt in basketball” and “must-see TV every single night.”

Zach Lowe also had glowing things to say when talking about Ant: “How many players can go on heaters featuring highlights—not just baskets, but jaw-dropping highlights—from all three levels in the same two-minute span: loud dunks, high-wire 3s, and classic fadeaway middies?”

New Offensive Foresight

With all the hype around the new personnel, one major point often gets lost in the hoopla: Anthony Edwards is one of the NBA’s best shooters. Of course, Minnesota fans are well aware of this. Yahoo Sports‘ Kevin O’Connor and Amin Elhassan broke down this exact aspect of the Timberwolves’ offense. “(If I’m Ant) I don’t have to have the burden of creating for others,” said Elhassan. “…I just get to be Anthony Edwards, the scoring machine. I get to be aggressive. If I got the ball, that means I’m trying to score, unless obviously the defense shows in such a way where I should move it. And I think the lifting of that burden is the biggest thing that LaMelo Ball does,” he said.

Giving one of the NBA’s best 3-point shooters more time, more space, and less pressure creates a dangerous combination. Ball does exactly that for Edwards—and expecting a jump in his (Edwards’) shooting numbers is not that controversial. Saying this now seems cheap, considering Ant dropped 45 points in Miami’s season opener. On this night, Edwards joined only Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan with multiple 40+ point season openers in NBA history. Edwards and Chamberlain are the only 2 players to do so in consecutive seasons.

Additionally, LaMelo has already shown he can read defenses and anticipate spacing in a Wolves uniform. He’s shown a willingness to make the extra pass and execute the right basketball play. His feel for the game is that of a true traditional point guard. The ball has touched the floor far less than last year, suggesting things are heading in the right direction offensively for Minnesota.

Athleticism Galore

This is one of — if not the deepest and most talented — teams Minnesota basketball fans have ever seen. The Athletic‘s Jon Krawczynski said on the Wolves Collective podcast that the Wolves “…are going to be a live-wire act all season long.”

After adding arguably the league’s best lob-throwing point guard, the highlights have already started rolling in. Now that the Wolves have someone who can throw them, expect them to become a regular part of their offense. Not only will lobs become more commonplace in Minnesota, but Dane Moore explained after the first preseason game that the Wolves could use them to keep bigs like Jonathan Kuminga and Rudy Gobert involved in the offense:

“They’re (Kuminga and Gobert) going to be the guys that, when things aren’t going perfectly, get pinched,” said Moore of offensive possessions. With LaMelo Ball now demanding the ball and Anthony Edwards getting his own, Minnesota will need to get others involved in the offense in creative, effective ways this season. Passing (and throwing lobs) is often regarded as “contagious”, as evidenced in this clip of an Ayo Dosunmu transition lob to Kuminga in Orlando:

You might want to save your snack and restroom breaks for the commercials.

Chemistry Built by Mutual Reverence

Being selected in the same draft class, Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball knew each other by association. Now, they’ve already begun forming a bond that nobody knew they needed. Jamal Collier of ESPN wrote about how the duo’s chemistry began to evolve. “Almost instantly, they (the Timberwolves) saw renewed engagement from Edwards,” he wrote.

“Edwards hosted Ball at his home in Minneapolis. The two began working out on the court together later that month. Edwards joked he and Ball bonded over the need to limit their profanity in postgame interviews,” wrote Collier. “We really got the same personality, for real,” Ball said.

Watch Your Head

Having a plenitude of chemistry and playoff experience should bode well for the Timberwolves as the season progresses. Will we really get a barrage of lobs and alley-oops reminiscent of the 2010s Clippers? Maybe, maybe not. What we will get, though, is a season full of thrilling basketball that promises to be one hell of a ride.