Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards Gets Brutally Honest on LaMelo Ball Team Up
· Yahoo Sports
The Minnesota Timberwolves made a big splash this offseason when they acquired LaMelo Ball in a blockbuster trade with the Charlotte Hornets. Ball will come in and immediately work alongside Anthony Edwards in the backcourt, making them one of the best guard tandems in the entire league.
The Timberwolves are still trying to sign LeBron James in free agency, but it’s seeming more and more likely that this team is going to be led by Edwards and Ball moving forward. Much has been made about how this duo could fare moving forward, and while Edwards is optimistic about what the future holds, he also knows that there are likely going to be some tough times as he and Ball adjust to playing alongside each other.
Visit palladian.co.za for more information.
Anthony Edwards Issues Eye-Opening LaMelo Ball Messages
Anthony Edwards on playing with LaMelo Ball:
“It’s definitely going to be ups and downs. First year together maybe a lot of downs. We’ll celebrate both of them. Celebrate the ups, celebrate the downs.”
(Via @Fanatics) https://t.co/3DAC4cph7lpic.twitter.com/jFIoTCTG4r
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) July 20, 2026
After getting selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Edwards has turned himself into one of the most efficient scorers in the league. In the 2025-26 campaign, Edwards set a career high in points per game (28.8), but his assists per game plummeted to 3.7, which was the lowest it has been since his rookie campaign.
Just two picks after Edwards was picked in the 2020 draft, the Hornets selected Ball with the No. 3 overall pick. A true point guard, Ball is one of the flashiest offensive players in the league. However, there are real concerns about his efficiency on offense, in addition to his ability to hold up on the defensive side of the ball against playoff-caliber teams.
Bringing in Ball will take a big playmaking burden off of Edwards’ shoulders, and the threat of each other’s scoring ability should open things up for Minnesota’s offense. Edwards knows better than anyone, though, that games are not won on paper, and while the T-Wolves’ backcourt duo looks very scary now, he’s well aware that adjusting to life with Ball could prove challenging for the entire team.
“It’s definitely going to be ups and downs. First year together maybe a lot of downs, but we gonna celebrate both of them. Celebrate the ups, celebrate the downs, and just go with it,” Edwards said at Fanatics Fest.
Timberwolves Have High Hopes for Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball Pairing
GettyAnthony Edwards admitted that the first year of his partnership with LaMelo Ball on the Timberwolves could be rocky
Minnesota has put all its cards on the table by acquiring Ball, so it needs this pairing of him and Edwards to work out. As noted above, there are pros and cons when it comes to this duo, and it’s going to take some time for everyone to figure out the best way for this team to win games. Expecting Edwards and Ball to immediately lead the Timberwolves to 60 wins in their first year together isn’t healthy, because it simply isn’t realistic.
Can this team contend for a championship? Absolutely, but it’s going to have to lean into its strengths in an effort to hide its weaknesses. So while Edwards and Ball should dominate on offense, that means guys like Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert are going to play even bigger roles on defense. It’s a complicated puzzle, but Minnesota has the sort of talent that is needed to make it work.
Like HEAVY's content?Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards Gets Brutally Honest on LaMelo Ball Team Up appeared first on HEAVY.