Timberwolves' Early LaMelo Ball Returns Already Look Promising

With weeks remaining until the regular season begins, Minnesota's newest point guard is already making his future with the team exciting.

We won't know if LaMelo Ball will work with the Timberwolves until they start playing games that count. But for now, the early results of having him on the team look very promising. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Timberwolves have their fingers crossed right now. 

They strongly believe LaMelo Ball fits what they need on the court. Tim Connelly and his staff did plenty of homework on the 25-year-old All-Star point guard and were impressed by how he ran Charlotte’s No. 1-ranked offense in the second half of last season.

Still, nobody knows if he will fit correctly in Minnesota.

“LaMelo has seen some winning early, went through some rough years, and then last year, he was great for Charlotte and his teammates,” Connelly said Monday. “So you take all those things into account, and then you cross your fingers. We don’t know how it’s going to work until we play the games.”

The Wolves won’t play a game that counts until Oct. 21, when they travel to Miami for their regular-season opener. That is when Ball’s marriage with the Wolves will begin being put to the test.

But right now, the early returns of having Ball—the once-perceived immature, unfocused, one-dimensional player—around the team are looking very promising for Minnesota’s future with him as its starting point guard.

Ball has seemingly never left the gym

The Timberwolves, like many other teams, opened training camp Tuesday morning. Camp is the first time in the offseason teams can hold mandatory practice. But Ball has been getting shots up at the Wolves’ facility in downtown Minneapolis consistently since he arrived in late June. 

Ball has been in the gym so often that he had to clarify on social media that he wasn’t wearing the same pair of Prince-themed shorts every day.

incredible vibes. pic.twitter.com/oFdFab63Lk

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) August 30, 2026

Asked what he’s worked on this summer, Ball said during Monday’s media day that he's focused on improving both his offense and defense. He enters Minnesota with a passing ability the Wolves hope will make him a natural fit alongside Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and company. But there will undoubtedly be a learning curve during Ball’s first season. A learning curve that Edwards has been preparing for.

There will be points this season where Ball’s fit with the Wolves will not look right. That will probably be unavoidable. What matters is Minnesota pushing through those down points with maturity. We will find out whether players can do that during the season. But for now, Ball remaining a constant in the practice facility is a very good sign for his overall fit in Minnesota and his chemistry with his new teammates.

In particular, Rudy Gobert developing chemistry with Ball is essential to Minnesota’s postseason hopes this season. Gobert smirked when a reporter first mentioned Ball’s name to him at media day.

“I think LaMelo is one of the best passers in this league,” Gobert said. “[He is] one of the best creators, especially for big men. So I definitely think he is going to bring something to our group that we need. Pace. Creation. And just having the ball moving for us is contagious, and is going to create a lot of opportunities, and make us an even more dangerous team.”

we know y’all we’ve been waiting for this 🍿 pic.twitter.com/Iq46mOYViZ

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) September 23, 2026

Ball has been tossing lobs frequently to anyone around the rim during training camp, which must continue once the season starts and the Wolves face real defense. Jonathan Kuminga should benefit from Ball’s above-the-rim passing. So will Joan Beringer, who is getting used to playing with the type of passer that Ball is.

“The first practice I had with him, he threw me so many lobs, I’ve never seen that before,” Beringer said with a smile Monday. “So I think [he will do] a lot for my game. Run the floor. He passes the ball so well. I am just so excited to play with him.”

Ultimately, training camp and preseason results only mean so much. Once the regular season starts, we will see how much the work that Ball has been putting in with his teammates will pay off. But right now, his efforts in the gym are reflective of a mature player who appears committed to winning, leading by example, and being a constant source of positivity.

The good vibes are radiating from Ball

Gobert has had to mute the team group chat because his teammates text so much. He believes the vibes at camp have been great, which is not uncommon for training camp. But the excitement and overall energy in the building seem to be uniquely high.

Ball, with his exuberant, authentic persona, has been charging that energy.

“The vibes are great,” Gobert said. “You can tell there is some excitement. And LaMelo brings a lot of that, too. He is always joyful. It is definitely something great for us. We need that … This group, we want to see each other succeed. We want to see each other win. And I think that is very important in this business of the NBA.”

LaMelo Ball is lighting up the Timberwolves' training camp with his exuberant, authentic persona, and Minnesota will be better off this season because of it. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gobert believes that Minnesota’s connectivity right now will help it push through moments of adversity, which players struggled with last year. But by bringing in Ball—and subsequently losing Julius Randle, who seemed to have moody tendencies—the Wolves now have a leader whose persistent positivity should help keep morale high during the season.

"I'm gonna miss Naz for sure; that's my brother,” Edwards said. “But I'm super happy about the changes in the locker room."

The Wolves have their fingers crossed, hoping their gamble on Ball will pay off. And even though those fingers will remain crossed through training camp and into the preseason, Minnesota’s move to bring in the misunderstood floor general already looks promising for a team that lacked reliable point guard play and the kind of consistent positivity Ball brings to work.

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