MINNEAPOLIS — After the stunning news that Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards would undergo surgery that would knock him out for multiple months, head coach Chris Finch said one of the first things he checked off his list was speaking with newly acquired guard LaMelo Ball.
“When Anthony went down, one of the first things — we went to Melo, and we said, ‘you got to be more aggressive for yourself right now,’” said Finch, whose team is off to an impressive start during their upcoming stretch without their superstar. “You know, he was doing such a great job of kind of deferring, getting everyone involved, trying to build chemistry across the board with everyone. But we needed him to be, you know, be more aggressive for himself.”
In six games since Edwards’ injury, Ball is averaging 19.7 points per game on 61% true shooting, per Stathead.
“He's got the ability to generate his own shots,” said Finch, who is in his seventh year at the helm for Minnesota. “So that's, you know, part of his role morphing right in front of our eyes.”
While his numbers have trended upward since the start of the season, the Chino Hills, California native has been searching for his role with his new franchise. A great deal of said role is becoming more assertive in the fourth quarter — taking over games and willing his team to the finish line.
Article Continues Below“He loves the clutch moments,” said Finch. “You can see that. He has, you know, all the skill to create offense for himself and for others.… You just feel like when you put the ball in his hands, time and time again, you know, you're gonna get the right play, or you're gonna get a really good look of some sort.”
Through Edwards’ absence thus far, the Timberwolves are 4-2, with a franchise-record eight-game homestand beginning Sunday night against the Utah Jazz.