The Minnesota Timberwolves will look to get back to at least the Western Conference Finals this season after falling to the San Antonio Spurs in the second round in the 2026 playoffs.

The Timberwolves revamped their roster this offseason, sending Julius Randle to Brooklyn and Naz Reid to Charlotte, but acquiring LaMelo Ball in the process.

Their starting lineup will include Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, and Rudy Gobert, with a bench supporting cast of Ayo Dosunmu, Bones Hyland, Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark, Cody Williams, Joan Beringer, and Trey Lyles.

The Western Conference is tough, with the Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder sitting at the top, but the Wolves can get over the hump if these three things happen.

Edwards is already one of the best players in the league, but there is another level to his game that he can reach next to a playmaker like Ball.

The two biggest areas of improvement for Edwards are his playmaking and his defense. He’s not a great playmaker, though he’s never played alongside another creator like Ball. He will have to prove that he can read the game better and handle doubles better this season.

Defensively, the athletic tools are there, but he has to get better at creating turnovers and limiting drives or contesting at the rim.

McDaniels was viewed as the second-best player on the Timberwolves coming out of the playoffs, and though the addition of Ball changes that, a McDaniels breakout season would put the team in a higher category.

He’s already the most versatile defender on the team and one of the best defenders in the league.

Where he’ll need to improve is his self-creation and three-point volume. He shot 41% from three last season on 3.4 attempts. If that number jumps to five attempts and his percentage stays at 40% or higher and if he can also create more off the dribble, both for himself and his teammates, the offense goes to a higher level.

The Timberwolves offense ranked 13th last season, so there is plenty of room for improvement. Playing faster doesn’t necessarily mean playing at a higher pace, where the team ranked tenth last season; it means running more in transition, getting set quicker, moving more, and playing smarter.

They now have the personnel to overwhelm teams with speed and pressure on offense while maintaining a top-ten defense.