LaMelo Ball’s arrival in Minnesota appears to be changing more than the Timberwolves’ offense. Head coach Chris Finch believes the guard’s cheerful personality has lifted the mood around Anthony Edwards and the rest of the roster. That marks a shift from the frustration of recent seasons, which Naz Reid once summed up in one word: “moodiness.”
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Now, the Wolves are entering a new season with a different atmosphere. With Reid and Julius Randle gone, Minnesota is counting on its new group to bring a different dynamic heading into the season. And it is clear that LaMelo Ball is at the center of it, as the head coach described the change before his team’s preseason game against the Knicks.
“He’s always in a great mood,” Finch said of Ball via Mike Vorkunov on X. “Always comes in smiling. He and Anthony have a shared quality: They’re really hard to stay mad at. And they do some things that you want to get mad at. They have a reflective joy, and I think that’s important. They tease the joy out of each other as practice goes along. So, that kind of adds to the overall spirit of the group, which we really needed.
“We referred to ourselves as a moody team in the last couple of years at times, and it’s probably gotten in our way. We’ve traded moodiness for giddiness, so we’ve got to kind of get back to some sort of equilibrium. But it’s been fun to go to work every day so far.”
Finch did not mention either of the former players by name. Still, the head coach’s statement directly contributes to how Reid made a similar assessment of the roster just a few months ago.
“Just the moodiness,” the then-Wolves star said in May. “Both of those teams, they’re playing for one another, excited to be on the floor with one another, they’re selfless…we have more than enough talent, just need to be less moody and more selfless.”
His comments came after the Timberwolves lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the 2026 playoffs. Minnesota had reached the Western Conference Finals in 2025 before losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but another deep run did not materialize. Reid acknowledged that Minnesota needed to improve its collective mentality after falling short in the playoffs.
Now, the player who voiced that concern is gone. Minnesota traded Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in a multiteam deal before sending Reid to the Charlotte Hornets to acquire Ball. There are more reasons behind Minnesota’s excitement. LaMelo Ball gives the Timberwolves another high-level creator and should allow Anthony Edwards to spend more time at shooting guard. Thus reducing the pressure of carrying so much of the point guard’s responsibility.
The two guards belonging to the same 2020 draft class have also shown an early connection away from the court. Edwards said the team’s group chat has been especially active, adding, “Personalities in the locker room mesh well together.”
LaMelo Ball’s ability to push the pace and create open looks should give Edwards more room to attack defenses without having to initiate every possession. Rudy Gobert is another player who could benefit.
“I think LaMelo is one of the best passers in this league,” Gobert said. “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.
The early practices have already offered a glimpse of that connection. Rookie center Joan Beringer has been on the receiving end of Ball’s lobs, and he is not complaining either.
“The first practice I had with him, he threw me so many lobs, I’ve never seen that before,” Beringer said. “He passes the ball so well. I’m so excited to play with him.”
LaMelo Ball has clearly already impressed Chris Finch, Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and even Joan Beringer. Plus his playmaking gives the team a new offensive dimension.