The Timberwolves president drew a line between passing and playmaking when discussing what Ball brings to Minnesota's offense alongside Anthony Edwards.
Tim Connelly has been asked plenty of times this offseason about what LaMelo Ball does for the Timberwolves, and his most recent answer cut straight to the point.
Connelly said Ball is not just a passer but an actual playmaker, someone who can pass teammates into open shots rather than just find them with the ball.
"Some guys can pass; he can actually playmake," Connelly said. "He can pass you into an open shot; you see the impact he had last year. I don't think he gets enough credit for his ability to make others better."
Connelly seems to believe the rest of the league has not fully appreciated what Ball can do when he has the right teammates around him.
The distinction is important for a team that spent last season running its offense primarily through Anthony Edwards.
Edwards is one of the best scorers in the league, but Minnesota's half-court offense often stalled when defenses loaded up against him because there was no one else on the floor who could consistently create advantages for teammates.
Mike Conley Jr. was a steady hand, but he was past his prime and could not pressure defenses the way Ball can with his size and ability to score from anywhere on the floor.
Last season, the offense would go through stretches in the fourth quarter where Edwards had to create everything on his own, and that is exactly the problem Ball was brought in to solve.
What the Backcourt Could Look Like
Ball arrived in the offseason trade that reshaped the Timberwolves roster.
He was drafted third overall in 2020, two picks after Edwards, and now the two are paired together in what could be one of the most talented backcourts in the Western Conference.
Ball's playmaking should open up driving lanes for Edwards, give Jaden McDaniels more catch-and-shoot opportunities, and make the entire offense harder to game-plan against.
The Timberwolves are looking to compete with Oklahoma City and San Antonio at the top of the conference, and having a true creator at point guard is a major step in that direction.
The Bigger Challenge
The fit between Ball and Edwards on the offensive end looks natural, but the question that will define this season is whether Ball can stay healthy enough to build the chemistry Connelly is counting on.
Ball has missed significant time in past seasons, and the Timberwolves need him on the floor consistently for the playmaking advantage to show up in the standings.
The talent is there for Minnesota to be a top-four team in the West, but only if the health cooperates and the two stars can build the rhythm that takes months of playing together to develop.
Connelly has talked about the internal options at power forward that might surprise people, and the roster still has a few gaps that could be filled before the season starts.
But the foundation of everything Minnesota wants to do on offense runs through Ball's ability to create for others, and Connelly sounds like a president who believes that ability is being underrated by the rest of the league.
