Finch Says Wolves Still Run Through Edwards — Where LaMelo Fits

Chris Finch isn't hiding the obvious: adding LaMelo Ball gives Minnesota a lot of new toys, but the Timberwolves offense is still Anthony Edwards' to run. Speaking with MinnPost, Finch said identity flows from a team's best players, and Edwards remains the hub even as the lineup gets a facelift. That matters for fantasy managers who own the highest-rostered piece on this team — Edwards sits at our #15 overall (#7 among guards) after posting 28.8 points, 5 boards and 3.7 assists across 61 games last season (2025-26), good for 44.1 fantasy points per game.

Finch's stated goals are speed and passing. Minnesota ranked just 16th in the league in assists per game in 2025-26, and dropping a 7.1-assist creator like Ball into the mix is the cleanest fix he could ask for. Ball averaged 20.1 points and 7.1 dimes across 72 games last year (2025-26), landing at our #41 overall (#21 at guard) with 38.2 fantasy points per game.

What LaMelo Does To The Distribution

Here's the tension: two ball-dominant guards, one basketball. Finch framed it as a chance to play faster, move more off the ball, and let more players benefit — the polish, in his words, rather than a teardown. Edwards' last-five-games trend read -10.8 fantasy points versus his season average, so there's some noise to watch early, but the sample there is stale and preseason context matters more than a cold stretch.

The reality is both guards can eat. LaMelo's floor-general role should nudge Edwards toward more efficient, off-ball looks rather than tanking his volume, and both profiles carry enough usage to stay fantasy-relevant. If pace jumps like Finch wants, the raw counting stats could rise across the board.

The Youngster To Track

Finch also flagged 19-year-old Joan Beringer, who he wants stepping into the backup center job behind Rudy Gobert. Finch called the kid's inconsistency the growth kind rather than self-inflicted, but noted Beringer fouls too much and takes himself out of position by chasing everything. Beringer sits at our #366 (3.9 points, 9.5 fantasy points per game in 40 games last season), so he's a deep-league stash only — though his +15.7 fantasy points over his last five is a flicker worth monitoring if Gobert ever misses time.

Fantasy bottom line: Edwards stays a locked-in top-15 asset, full stop. The real opportunity is Ball, who could be a value at #41 if Minnesota's pace-and-pass vision actually lands — buy low while the fit questions scare people off. Jaden McDaniels (our #109, +6.7 over his last five) is a streaky flier, and Beringer is a watch-list name, not a roster spot yet.