Peter Okereke
On paper, the backcourt pairing of Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball checks plenty of boxes: elite scoring, flashy playmaking, and undeniable star power. But not everyone is convinced it would be the slam dunk it appears to be.
NBA insider Evan Sidery already called it an all-in risk for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and other analysts have echoed this sentiment lately.
“My initial reaction was lukewarm,” Adam Mares said on the All NBA Podcast. “My Friday reaction was pretty positive, and I think the more I sit on it, the more I think it’s really good. I mean, it’s volatile. It’s risky. And I think the injury risk of LaMelo Ball is the biggest thing.”
Even influential journalist Marc Stein called it his “favorite trade of the week” before underlining the lingering issues that the Timberwolves now have to manage with Ball.
“Look, Charlotte, I think they got a lot back for LaMelo Ball, and I think they were very smart. He played 72 games this season. The previous three seasons he missed, I don’t even remember how many. I lost count. I just think it’s too grand a risk for Minnesota.”
“They (Hornets) were clearly like, ‘We got a full season out of this guy. We kept his minutes down, too. This is now Kon Knueppel’s team, Brandon Miller’s team and Charles Lee’s team.’ I think they knew very shortly after the season that they were going to go this direction and basically move out of the LaMelo Ball business.”
Last season, LaMelo Ball played more than 70 games for the first time since his sophomore year. Those extended minutes paid off, as he ranked second in the league behind Nikola Jokic in creating quality shot opportunities for his teammates.
However, the former Hornets star still lacks postseason experience, with no playoff appearances and only four Play-In games to his name. That absence raises concerns about how he might handle the intensity of a postseason run and whether it could lead to another late-season stumble for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Even though Ball continues to produce at a high level when healthy, his long-term durability remains a growing concern. Executives and analysts can no longer overlook the uncertainty surrounding his ability to stay on the floor.
