The Minnesota Timberwolves look like a problem with LaMelo Ball on board. Especially if he is allowed to take more than four steps with the ball. After landing the All-Star point guard in one of the biggest trades of the offseason, the Timberwolves began their season with a 131-106 victory over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Anthony Edwards (45 points) and Antetokounmpo (35) led their respective teams in scoring, but Ball himself had a strong debut in Minnesota with 21 points. 6 assists and 2 steals. He also had the play everyone was talking about, but not necessarily for a good reason. During the second quarter, Ball had the court open in front of him, but opted to step back to hit a three-pointer. At first glance, it might have seemed like a normal shot to some people. It was certainly treated as normal, with no whistle from the referees. However, instant replay revealed the truth: Ball got away with a hilariously obvious trip, so much so that the ESPN broadcast was amazed as it watched the play in slow motion. Color commentator Richard Jefferson began to defend the play, saying, “My older basketball players next to me, they feel like this is a trip. I, I think this is…” but then became speechless when he could see better. The play was bad enough to catch the attention of Ball’s older brother, Lonzo, who described the play as he saw it. Ultimately, it was a one-time, silly moment in a successful debut for Ball, who spent the first six seasons of his career with the Charlotte Hornets before a surprise blockbuster landed him in Minnesota. The appeal of adding Ball to Minnesota’s core is obvious. Edwards is one of the best players in the NBA. Rudy Gobert is an elite defender and rebounder. The rest of the roster is strong, but a distributor like Ball could elevate every player on a team still trying to reach the NBA Finals. Wednesday was a good start, facing one of the East’s contenders and having no trouble turning Antetokounmpo’s Miami debut into a loss. The Wolves probably shouldn’t expect to get away with a similar change on the backcourt in the future.
