Finch: LaMelo Ball and Edwards have traded Wolves’ moodiness for giddiness

NEW YORK (Oct. 14, 2026) — Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch says the arrival of LaMelo Ball has already changed the feel of the locker room, pairing with Anthony Edwards to push the group toward a lighter daily mood.

Speaking ahead of a recent preseason stop in New York, Finch described Ball as consistently upbeat and hard to stay frustrated with, a quality he also sees in Edwards. He said the two guards draw energy out of each other in practice and that the spirit spreads through the rest of the roster.

From moody stretches to a brighter room

Finch acknowledged that Minnesota has sometimes been a moody team over the past couple of seasons and that those stretches may have gotten in the way. With Ball now in the building after an offseason trade from Charlotte, Finch said the group has traded that moodiness for more giddiness and still needs to find a middle ground.

The coach framed the shift as useful rather than finished business. He wants the joy without losing the edge that helped the Timberwolves reach deep playoff runs in recent years, including Western Conference finals appearances in 2024 and 2025 and a second-round trip last spring.

Why the fit matters before tip-off

Ball’s on-court fit with Edwards will be judged once the regular season starts. Finch’s early comments are about culture and daily work: whether the new backcourt can keep practices sharp and the building fun while Minnesota sorts through rotations.

For a team that already contended in the West, that soft skill is part of the bet on Ball. Finch said it has been enjoyable to go to work so far, a small but notable early return on a headline offseason addition.

Minnesota opens the regular season soon, so Finch’s comments land as an early culture report card rather than a finished verdict on the Ball-Edwards pairing. The Wolves still have to translate that practice energy into consistent game habits.