Timberwolves Stock Up, Stock Down After Preseason Loss To Pacers

Minnesota played a preseason game in Ames, Iowa, Wednesday night. Whose performances have them trending up, and who is trending down?

LaMelo Ball played in his second (preseason) game in a Wolves uniform, and once again gave reason to be encouraged about his partnership in Minnesota. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nothing about the first half of the Timberwolves’ matchup Wednesday night against the Pacers felt like a preseason game.

They played at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, where Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton played two collegiate seasons for the Iowa State Cyclones. In front of a raucous crowd Wednesday night, Haliburton returned to the NBA hardwood for the first time since he tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last year.

The building buzzed like a regular-season game. The teams scored 126 combined points in the first half. Bill Kennedy gave a challenge announcement. And Amazing Sladek climbed a stack of chairs at halftime.

Minnesota ultimately lost 123-112, falling to 1-1 in the preseason. Chris Finch played his starters into the third quarter. Here are the players who trended up with their performance, as well as some who trended down.

Trending Up 📈

Jaden McDaniels

Immediately after the Wolves dumped Julius Randle’s salary to the Nets, McDaniels had the opportunity to become Minnesota’s second option alongside Anthony Edwards for the first time in his career.

But once LaMelo Ball landed in Minneapolis, McDaniels slid back to being the third option as quickly as the opportunity to be No. 2 presented itself. Last season, McDaniels averaged 14.8 points per game on 51.5% from the floor and 41.2% from deep, excelling as Minnesota's third option. 

Wednesday night in Iowa, McDaniels did the same thing.

JAD3N pic.twitter.com/eTRN3NBkAr

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 7, 2026

McDaniels scored 16 points against Indiana in 21 minutes. He shot 6-for-10 from the floor and 4-for-6 from deep. What made McDaniels such a lethal third option next to Edwards and Julius Randle was that he could score in volumes with limited shot attempts because of his top-end efficiency in the midrange and from deep. Against the Pacers, McDaniels got into the midrange quickly for two of his patented pull-ups and fadeaways. He also benefited directly from Ball’s always-present passing.

The Wolves believe that Ball can unlock another level for McDaniels this season. But if McDaniels can even be the same player statistically as he was last year on offense, that will be plenty good enough for a third option. McDaniels did just that against Wednesday, and it fit in well alongside the two players ahead of him on the scoring totem pole.

Anthony Edwards

Edwards loves a loud environment. For all the deafening moments he has orchestrated at Target Center, there is something special about the muffled roar that ensues after he drills an impressive bucket on the road.

love to see it. pic.twitter.com/4g1MJagC23

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) October 8, 2026

After shooting 4-for-13 against Milwaukee and scoring 13 points, Edwards looked much more like his superstar self against Indiana. He scored 19 points in 20 minutes on 5-for-10 from the floor and 4-for-5 from deep. The shot was pure and complemented Ball’s passing. 

Edwards said at media day that he took two months off from playing basketball at the beginning of the summer to recover from the injuries he suffered in both knees at the end of last season. Against Milwaukee, Edwards looked sluggish as he moved around the court, especially on defense, which was cause for concern amongst fans that Edwards may have lingering ailments from those knee injuries.

However, I thought Edwards was moving better against Indiana. As the season wears on, Edwards’ health will be a key topic. His agility and side-to-side movement will be something to keep a close eye on.

LaMelo Ball

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle had his players defending with regular-season-level intensity at the point of attack. Minnesota’s reserves struggled to break Indiana’s defense midway through the first quarter, so Chris Finch brought his starting point guard back in.

Ball found ways to break the Pacers’ defense when his teammates struggled to do so. The Wolves scored 38 points in the second quarter, during which Ball recorded all seven of his assists. He also finished Wednesday’s game with five turnovers, which were a byproduct of that aforementioned Pacers' high-intensity defense.

Despite the turnovers, Ball consistently generated quality offense for his teammates while remaining a dynamic scorer himself. He finished with 14 points to go along with four rebounds on 5-for-9 from the floor and 4-for-6 from deep in 20 minutes. 

High-intensity defense showing up early tonight, especially on this possession. LaMelo Ball is locked in here. pic.twitter.com/fRMb7XtESS

— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) October 7, 2026

In addition to his offense, Ball also seemed bought in defensively. He was engaged, which will be the most important part of his defense going forward in Minnesota. The Wolves don’t need him to be a lockdown stopper like McDaniels or Jaylen Clark. But they can’t have him be a liability.

This game was a good example of where Ball can be the most effective for Minnesota—injecting positive offense as a point guard in the face of rugged defense. The type of defense that the Wolves will and have seen in the playoffs. The type of defense that they couldn’t break through last year.

With Ball under center, the Wolves will have a solidified option to turn to when the opposing defense is wreaking the game for them. They didn’t have that option last season, but they had it Wednesday and will have it this season.

Trending Down 📉

Joan Beringer

The biggest concern for Beringer entering this season is whether or not he can stay out of foul trouble. He recorded four fouls Monday in Milwaukee, which affected his playing time. Against the Pacers, Beringer only fouled twice. But overall, he struggled on defense against a team much, much better than the squad the Wolves saw in Milwaukee.

The Pacers play fast, and did so against the Wolves. Last season, they ranked seventh in the NBA in pace. They constantly kept the ball moving Wednesday; Beringer looked a step behind when defending in space, and he struggled to get stops at the rim against downhill attackers. With him on the floor in the first half, Indiana scored 24 points against the Wolves on 55% shooting. 16 of those points were in the paint.

Joan Beringer is an exciting talent, but he showed his youth on defense when matching up against a fast-paced, well-coached Pacers team Wednesday night. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Some of Beringer’s individual defensive struggles are tied to the Wolves collectively making mistakes on defense around him. Regardless, Beringer showed his youth against a team that is well-coached, deep, scrappy, and was a game away from winning a championship the last time they were fully healthy.

Not everything will be smooth this season for Beringer. The talent is beaming from the 19-year-old, and the Wolves are high on what he can develop in the NBA. Perhaps he will one day be able to replace Rudy Gobert as Minnesota’s starting center. We won’t know if he can be that player if he isn’t allowed to work through growing pains. And struggling the way he did Wednesday is not that concerning or surprising.

At the same time, the Wolves have high expectations for themselves this year, which will require Beringer to learn quickly from his lessons.

Terrence Shannon Jr.

Shannon’s speed is breakneck. The raw athleticism he plays with on offense can completely flip the momentum of a game. It did a handful of times last season, which is part of the reason the Wolves wanted him to be a significant part of their rotation this season.

But so far in the preseason, Shannon hasn't shown the growth needed to consistently blossom as an everyday player. 

Shannon played 17 minutes against the Pacers, during which he recorded nine points and two assists on 2-for-4 from the floor, 1-for-1 from deep, and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line. Similarly to his performance in Milwaukee, Shannon’s downhill speed popped, but he was not polished around the rim and was still taking left-handed attempts on the right side of the basket.

Terrence Shannon Jr. is coming off a very encouraging playoff performance last year, but he has been underwhelming so far in the Timberwolves' first two preseason games. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Shannon is especially valuable in Minnesota’s rotation because his size lets Finch play him in the frontcourt, where the Wolves are thin. For that reason, Shannon’s offense must improve. Preseason results only mean so much, but Shannon continuing to battle the same struggles he’s had since entering the NBA is, at least right now, cause for concern. 

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