In the Minnesota Timberwolves’ deliberation between LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards with the top pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, the topic up for debate is how the players fit with their incumbent start guard, D’Angelo Russell. While neither are perfect fits, the mission for Minnesota is to determine if one is any more of a fit than the other and if that is enough to sway them on one prospect over another.
There have been a lot of questions about Ball specifically as his playstyle as a ball-dominant guard (no pun intended) clashes with Russell’s similar style. While each has demonstrated an ability to play off the ball, it’d certainly be the biggest test of that skillset next to one another in Minnesota.
The Athletic’s John Hollinger, who served in the front office for the Memphis Grizzlies for a number of years, spoke recently on the Hollinger & Duncan NBA Show about Ball’s fit in Minnesota and why he thinks the pairing of he and Russell could work (h/t Dunking With Wolves).
“I think the general perception is that LaMelo Ball is the best talent available. Now, are there some issues here with his potential fit with D’Angelo Russell? Yeah, maybe I mean, they’re both kind of ball-in-hand point guards and haven’t been too enthusiastic about playing defense. But I think because of their heights, I do think it’s possible for them to play together, if they can kind of work out how to be comfortable playing off the ball some of the time.
“…I don’t necessarily see that as a as a deal breaker for them, especially at the point they’re at, which it’s not like they’re not trying to refine their chemistry for a run at the championship right now. Right? They’re just trying to build up enough talent to have a halfway decent team. And until you get to that point, I think, I think you don’t really worry about fit issues and things like that as much. You’re just they’re still in town accumulation face, and they need to continue that.”
More than anything else Hollinger says, the need for Minnesota to acquire talent sticks out the most. The Timberwolves lack talent outside of Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns and Ball represents someone that would step in and be the team’s third best player from day one.
That matter alone should be enough to sway the Timberwolves into selecting Ball over Edwards. Passing on a player because of fit when they’re more talented, which by most parties Ball is considered the best prospect in the draft, is a move that could quickly backfire on a franchise.