Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball Are Primed to Give Timberwolves a Massive Offensive Advantage

The Timberwolves completely transformed their roster with last month's LaMelo Ball trade. They went from having overwhelming size and athleticism but a spacing problem—with Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle sharing the frontcourt—to a team with one of the best backcourt pairings in the entire NBA.

With Anthony Edwards and Ball, the Wolves' offense has the chance to explode next season. The two 24-year-old guards are among the best three-point shooters in the league and are set not just to put up huge individual scoring seasons, but also to provide extraordinary spacing for their teammates.

Edwards-Ball tandem could unlock Timberwolves' three-point potential

Two seasons ago, Edwards's shooting numbers took a massive leap. He increased his three-point percentage from 35.7% the previous season to 39.5% while nearly doubling the number of makes from 2.4 to 4.1 per game.

It was a historic shooting campaign for Edwards, who became just the fifth player in NBA history to finish a season making four or more three-pointers per game while shooting 39% or better from deep, joining Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Buddy Hield and Damian Lillard.

Similar to Edwards, Ball had a standout three-point shooting performance last season for the Hornets. Ball shot 36.8% from beyond the arc with 3.8 makes per game, good for third in the NBA.

Lamelo Ball shoots the ball. — Lamelo Ball's three-point capabilities will give the Timberwolves a huge offensive boost, especially when paired with what Anthony Edwards can do from deep. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In terms of total volume, only Ball's rookie teammate, Kon Knueppel, made more shots from deep last year, with Ball and Knueppel becoming the first pair of teammates to finish first and second in total three-point makes since it was most recently accomplished by Curry and Thompson in 2016-17.

The shooting barrage from Charlotte's backcourt allowed them to have the fifth-best offensive rating in the NBA, an incredible improvement considering the Hornets finished the previous season ranked 29th in offense.

The Timberwolves have the opportunity to replicate the Hornets' success with Ball now being paired with the shooting ability and overall scoring power of Edwards. Edwards has some of the best catch-and-shoot numbers in the NBA, which will be well-utilized with the addition of Ball, who has been one of the best three-point assist creators in the league.

Last season, Edwards' three-point shooting numbers slipped as he focused on his mid-range shooting and played more minutes at point guard. With the point guard duties out of his hands, Edwards has the freedom to bring his three-point volume back to where it was two seasons ago.

The immediate advantage of having two all-world shooters on the team is obvious. Edwards and Ball together will average around 50 points per game while pouring in seven or more shots from beyond the arc each game.

Widespread impact

Where the value starts to compound itself is how it affects the rest of the roster. Wing players like Jaden McDaniels, Ayo Dosunmu, Jaylen Clark and Terrence Shannon Jr. will likely see their offensive efficiency soar with the increased space and ball movement of Minnesota's offense.

Jaden McDaniels smiles. — Someone like Jaden McDaniels could benefit the most from LaMelo Ball's addition to the Timberwolves' roster. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Joan Beringer should have an easier time integrating into the Timberwolves rotation as well after a brief-but-promising Summer League effort. The 20-year-old Frenchman is an ultra-athletic but still raw prospect who relies on lob dunks and rim runs to be effective on offense. With one or both of Edwards' and Ball's three-point gravity on the floor, the Wolves have the best setup to paper over any of Beringer's offensive shortcomings.

Gobert is set to take the biggest leap playing with this new-look Wolves backcourt. He's spent the past couple of seasons in Minnesota playing next to Randle, who relies on getting into the paint to either score or assist. That became a complicated fit with Gobert, as he is also a player whose offensive game relies on playing in the paint.

Gobert will be the only non-shooter in the large majority of the minutes he plays, which will make keeping him involved in the offense much more realistic. The pick-and-rolls will have a little extra space, the lobs will be easier to catch, and the passing angles for Gobert on the short roll will become more obvious.

With a roster that may take a step back defensively compared to the last few seasons, the Timberwolves will need their offense to pick up the slack. Fortunately, that shouldn't be a problem with Edwards and Ball leading the way as two of the best three-point offensive engines.

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