The Minnesota Timberwolves kicked off their preseason on Monday night with a dominant 116-97 road win over the Milwaukee Bucks, featuring the highly anticipated debut of new backcourt star LaMelo Ball. Ball, who joined the Wolves via a four-team trade last June after six seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, put up 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists in his first outing.
Ball and Edwards Show Early Chemistry
LaMelo Ball stepped onto the court with superstar Anthony Edwards, and they immediately clicked. In the 6:43 they played together, the Wolves jumped out to a 19-12 lead when Ball subbed out. Edwards was a force himself, scoring 13 points in just 18 minutes and making the Wolves a solid plus-13 when he was on the court. After the game, Edwards was full of praise for his new teammate, giving “rave reviews” and even offering an “accurate comparison” of Ball’s playing style. It looks like these two are already gelling, which is exactly what the Wolves need.
Is This The Missing Piece for the Wolves?
Minnesota has been on the cusp of greatness, making the Western Conference Finals in both 2024 and 2025, and pushing into the second round of last season’s playoffs. They’re clearly hungry to finally break through to the NBA Finals. With Ball’s career averages of 20.1 points and 7.1 rebounds, he could absolutely be that missing piece they’ve been searching for. If his chemistry with Edwards continues to build like it did in this preseason opener, the league better watch out.
This is just preseason, but the early signs of Ball and Edwards clicking are huge. Keep an eye on the Wolves as they continue to tune up, because if this connection is real, Minnesota could be a serious problem for everyone in the West this season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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