Pace Will Be Key Factor in LaMelo Ball Unlocking Timberwolves Upside

LaMelo Ball often kicked the Hornets into gear from a pace perspective. Now, he enters a situation in Minnesota that plays at his speed

LaMelo Ball plays the game a fast pace; something the Timberwolves have been trying to do for years. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Chris Finch typically has his motifs that he likes to refer back to during the season that he wishes to define his team's identity as the season goes on.

Many times, it's the need to attack the rim; for Anthony Edwards to get downhill and get defenses off balance. Sometimes it's finding Rudy Gobert more offensively to open up additional options on the short roll. However, this past season was the speed at which his team should play. Noted for his offense and his time spent on Mike D'Antoni's staff in Houston, Finch came to Minnesota with the "seven seconds or less" connotation. In reality, playing with freedom is priority number one.

In 2023-24, the first year the Wolves went to the Western Conference Finals, the Wolves were bottom ten in the league in pace.

Contextualizing the Wolves' slow pace

"We were one of the slowest teams in the league this year, and that has never sat quite well," he said before the series against the Phoenix Suns that season. In a sense, they were hampered in doing so by running two centers in the lineup. But with the acquisition of Julius Randle, the vision was that the Wolves had someone who could both rebound and start fast breaks quickly.

Did it happen? Hit and miss. The Wolves would finish their first season with Randle 23rd in the league in overall pace.

Enter emphasis season. It was clear that Finch's belief behind pushing the pace offensively was to prevent the Wolves from playing out of a set halfcourt time and time again. It can be tiring for a team to play slower and not actively search for easy buckets in transition, and premier teams like Oklahoma City and San Antonio consistently find themselves among the top third of the league in possessions per 48 minutes.

Chris Finch on Anthony Edwards being the “point guard” of the Wolves

“We don’t need Ant to be the point guard in the classic sense. We need him to be himself, get us in and out of our structures, push the pace a little bit more… we just need him to get the ball up, get us into… pic.twitter.com/raAQu7laT4

— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) December 10, 2025

While the Wolves would go on to finish 12th in possessions per 48 in the NBA last season, it felt at times like it was pulling teeth to do so. Mirroring their pace spot was also 12th in the league in turnovers, matching what sometimes felt like a forced speed they were playing at with being discombobulated and playing out ahead of their processing speed. Specifically with Edwards, someone who prefers to break someone down off the dribble and play in isolation, point guarding an offense tasked with playing quicker can come as a challenge.

When Randle and Edwards were on the floor, the Wolves were 1 possession slower per 48 minutes, a sizable discrepancy when even four possessions can be the difference between a faster and slower brand of basketball.

The "Twin Turbo" tandem had their explosive moments, but even Bones Hyland and Ayo Dosunmu had slower stretches than you'd expect.

Bones Hyland nasty behind-the-back pass-fake + transition layup pic.twitter.com/m6sXl1gQPp

— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) March 19, 2026

Enter LaMelo Ball. Don't feel comfortable getting out and running? That's on you.

Ball's impact on the pace

The 6'7 point guard not only plays basketball like he's out at recess, but brings everyone with him. Inversely to how the Wolves were with Randle and Edwards on the floor, Charlotte was a whole possession faster when Ball was out on the floor and pushing the ball in transition. The Hornets also averaged three less turnovers per 100 possessions with Ball on the floor. If he's able to find the two-man game with Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert like many anticipate, it unlocks a totally different side of what Finch is able to do schematically on offense.

LaMelo Ball + Kon Knueppel: 2-man game as the Hornets have leaned into guard-guard screening actions

Kon with 4 buckets off pick-and-pops vs. Washington, all assisted by LaMelo: designed actions, in the flow in transition, random ghost screens after initial half-court action pic.twitter.com/cC8PDlTxkh

— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) October 28, 2025

Pace? Check. Doing it comfortably and cutting back on turnovers? Check.

Other themes and emphasis areas will turn up for the Wolves this coming season. But for Chris Finch, he might be able to save a few hairs on his head with the arrival of his new point guard.

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