The Minnesota Timberwolves made a major offseason move by bringing LaMelo Ball to play alongside Anthony Edwards. The addition gives Minnesota one of the most intriguing backcourts in the NBA, but not everyone is convinced the new pairing will make the team a serious contender.
Former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy is among the latest to question the hype. Despite Minnesota’s additions of Ball and Jonathan Kuminga, the Prime Video analyst believes the Timberwolves will finish sixth in the Western Conference, a prediction that has drawn plenty of pushback from NBA fans.
NBA Fans React to Stan Van Gundy’s LaMelo Ball, Timberwolves Prediction
Van Gundy knows what it takes to coach a contender. He led the Orlando Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals and has since moved into broadcasting, where he regularly offers his take on the league’s biggest storylines.
Speaking on The Zach Lowe Show, he pushed back against the widespread belief that Minnesota had improved this summer following Ball’s arrival.
“You know, everything I read, most people are saying, ‘Oh, Minnesota’s better.’ I just don’t see that at all. I think they’re going to be fun to watch with that backcourt,” Gundy said.
Van Gundy acknowledged that the Ball-Edwards pairing could produce plenty of offense, but he was less convinced about the team’s overall ceiling.
The Timberwolves finished sixth in the Western Conference in each of the last two seasons, and Van Gundy believes they won’t surpass that mark this season either.
“I think they’ll put some points on the board, but I’m not sold on them. I’m with you that they’ll be in the top six because I just don’t know if there’s anybody else, but I think they’re a pretty solid six in my opinion.”
That assessment did not sit well with fans who believe Minnesota’s new backcourt deserves more credit.
One Timberwolves supporter quipped, “What spells did Naz Reid and Julius Randle put on these people.”
Another fan was equally baffled by Van Gundy’s take on Ball’s arrival, arguing, “Man people are so odd about melo this is insane.”
Van Gundy’s own reputation became a target as the debate grew. One X user dismissed his assessment with a blunt declaration: “Stan Van Gundy famously knows nothing.”
Another pushed back, writing, “Don’t listen to what Stan Van Gundy says. This guy played his older brother Lonzo Ball as a corner standstill shooter when he was the Head Coach of New Orleans.”
The criticism continued as one Ball supporter questioned Van Gundy’s view of the Western Conference, saying, “Crazy take, he said Denver was better, cmon man.”
Not everyone focused solely on the former coach, however. One fan pointed to the contrast between outside skepticism and the apparent excitement surrounding Minnesota’s roster, noting, “Its funny to me that so many people hated the Wolves’ offseason moves but Ant, LaMelo and the rest of the team couldn’t be more excited.”
The debate comes after a busy summer in Minnesota. The Timberwolves acquired Ball from the Charlotte Hornets in a four-team trade that sent Naz Reid and a substantial collection of draft assets to Charlotte. Julius Randle was also moved to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the deal.
Those departures leave Minnesota with less frontcourt depth and production to replace, even as Ball adds another high-level playmaker alongside Edwards. Jonathan Kuminga also joined a core featuring Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels.
That combination gives the Timberwolves plenty of talent, but the Western Conference remains crowded.
The 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers all have reasons to believe they can compete near the top.
Minnesota opens its regular season Wednesday against the Miami Heat. The Ball-Edwards partnership will get its first real test soon enough, and the Timberwolves will have a chance to show whether Van Gundy’s sixth-place prediction is reasonable or far too low.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.