Finch Says LaMelo Ball Trade Will Reshape Anthony Edwards' Role in Minnesota

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch says Anthony Edwards must learn to play off the ball after Minnesota traded for LaMelo Ball to share the playmaking load.

Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch says LaMelo Ball's arrival will change the way Anthony Edwards operates this season. Speaking on The Dane Moore NBA Podcast, Finch explained that the deal for Ball is meant to lighten the offensive load Edwards has carried, though it will also ask something new of the All-Star guard.

The Timberwolves traded for Ball over the summer, adding a second ball handler and creator alongside their franchise player. Ball appeared in 72 games for the Charlotte Hornets last season, averaging 20.1 points and 7.1 assists while shooting 36.8 percent from three-point range.

Edwards, 24, has been the engine of the Minnesota offense in recent seasons and is a four-time All-Star. He played 61 games last season, averaging 28.8 points and 3.7 assists with a career-best 39.9 percent from beyond the arc. When the offense stalled, the Timberwolves routinely turned to him to manufacture a shot.

Finch told the podcast that Ball's playmaking should restore some of the ease that has been missing from Edwards' job. "We feel like we can get back to making life easier for Anthony with the offense that LaMelo creates," Finch said. He added that much depends on the star guard himself: "If Anthony can learn to stay patient off the ball, which is going to take some adjustment from him…"

The coach's remarks do not amount to a demotion. Finch indicated Edwards will still handle the ball plenty, with the change applying mainly to possessions that Ball initiates. In those moments, Edwards will be asked to move into open space and trust that a trip down the floor can still finish with the ball in his hands.

Finch also pointed to a roster-wide benefit. He said the Timberwolves have lacked players who consistently attack the rim over the past couple of seasons and believes that gap has now been filled. "We feel we have more of that now," Finch said. Ball is not regarded as a powerful downhill scorer, but the coach sees more paint pressure across the roster as a whole.

The thinking behind the pairing is that more drives could reshape the spacing around Edwards. Defenses forced to react to a ball handler in the paint would have to rotate, which can free shooters, open lanes or produce a matchup worth attacking. That chain reaction is part of what Minnesota is counting on from its new backcourt.

The season ahead will test how quickly the two guards settle into the arrangement. Finch's request is that Ball create openings and Edwards finish them, and the coach views that shift as potentially one of the biggest changes to the guard's game this season.