Minnesota Timberwolves

In every NBA fan’s eyes, it’s not hard to see that the Minnesota Timberwolves are serious threats to win the Larry O’Brien trophy. However, it’s also easy to see why Coach Chris Finch and Co. will see some defensive lapses in their system. LaMelo Ball hasn’t been the greatest defender, even during his sole year as an NBA All-Star selection. So, how does the squad led by LaMelo Ball deal with this?

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Timberwolves’ Coach Finch and Edwards have major Ball defensive ask

LaMelo Ball has a career defensive rating of 114. It did peak at 118 DRTG during his 2023-24 stint with the Charlotte Hornets. All of this, and everything in between, points to the Timberwolves’ need to either hide him in schemes or have him step up. Coach Chris Finch has made it abundantly clear that this is his big ask for the new point guard.

This is why Coach Finch has told Anthony Edwards to keep Ball accountable on defense, via Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

«We’ve talked about it already, he and I. If LaMelo is not up to our defensive standards, you’ve got to tell him. And then, you’ve got to do it, too. And that’s the only way we’re going to take the steps necessary,» the Timberwolves head coach declared.

In all fairness to Ball, he has gotten his defensive rating to as low as 110 in his career. However, that has not happened since his rookie year with the Hornets. The Timberwolves pride themselves with their defense. They ranked eighth in the NBA with their 113.5 DRTG, and that could take a hit if Ball slips up even once in their schemes.

Edwards has a plan to offset that. The Timberwolves star plans to save energy on offense so he can execute defensive coverages better. Ball will run the offense as a ball handler and take much of the load off Edwards’ shoulders. In turn, the seven-year star gets to become more active defensively.

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Edwards is confident his agreement with Ball will hold and will benefit the Timberwolves through the postseason.

«I feel like the last couple of years I couldn’t play defense as well as I wanted to because I was bringing the ball up at times. I had to score the ball all the time. At times, I was super tired. But now I got LaMelo. …  So, I feel like this year I’m going to be grading my game a lot differently,» the Timberwolves head coach declared.

If Coach Finch can unlock Edwards defensively with Ball running offense, a lot of the Timberwolves’ woes will dissipate. But that’s only one part of the puzzle. With Naz Reid and Julius Randle gone, they still need to find proper defensive backups for Jonathan Kuminga and Rudy Gobert.

A slight dip in the Timberwolves’ defensive efficiency can be expected. But this commitment by Coach Finch and Edwards to keep at least one of their stars accountable will go a long way.

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