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The Minnesota Timberwolves reshaped their roster by acquiring LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets, giving Anthony Edwards a new backcourt partner and another reason to embrace the 2026-27 season. Edwards has already found a fitting way to describe the pairing, turning to Disney’s “The Incredibles” for inspiration.
“What’s the dude name from Incredibles? The big guy,” Edwards asked during an interview. After the interviewer answered, “Mr. Incredible?” Edwards replied, “That’s Melo, and I’m Frozone.”
Edwards assigned Ball the nickname he had in mind for “the big guy” and reserved Frozone for himself. The playful exchange also offered an early glimpse at the comfort surrounding a partnership that Minnesota expects to make an immediate impact.
Anthony Edwards Backs Timberwolves Against Western Conference Leaders
Edwards has paired that humor with unmistakable confidence about Minnesota’s place in the Western Conference. When ESPN asked about the Timberwolves matching up with the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, he offered a direct prediction, Yahoo reports.
“Against those two teams, I think we’re going to beat them,” Edwards told ESPN.
Oklahoma City enters the season as a former champion, while San Antonio claimed the Western Conference last season. The Spurs ended Minnesota’s 2026 playoff run in six games during the conference semifinals. The Timberwolves reached that round after finishing sixth in the West with a 49-33 regular-season record.
Minnesota’s front office used its remaining meaningful draft capital to add Ball. That investment places immediate expectations on his partnership with Edwards as the Timberwolves try to join the conference’s top group.
Ball appeared in 72 games during the 2025-26 campaign. He averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 40.7% overall and 36.8% from 3-point range. His production gives Minnesota another scorer and playmaker alongside Edwards in a backcourt that carries considerable responsibility.
Edwards’ latest remarks follow the same confident approach he has displayed throughout his NBA career. This time, however, his belief extends to a roster that includes several new teammates and no longer features multiple familiar faces.
France Trip Gives New Timberwolves Time to Connect
Edwards did more than speak confidently about Minnesota’s revamped group. He organized a team trip to France, where the players trained together and spent time away from basketball before training camp.
The Timberwolves combined demanding workouts and practices with sightseeing. The team also took a boat ride and posed together near the Eiffel Tower, giving Ball and Minnesota’s other additions more opportunities to connect with their new teammates.
Ball continued working with the group as he celebrated his birthday on Saturday, August 22. Minnesota shared offseason workout footage featuring its new guard and captioned the post, “the grind never stops.”
Ball also highlighted the session on Instagram, writing, “birthday work. 💪”
The France trip gave Minnesota’s reshaped roster an early opportunity to build chemistry before the 2026-27 campaign. Ball has continued stacking workouts with his new team, while Edwards has publicly embraced both the partnership and the challenge awaiting the Timberwolves in the West.
Edwards has already supplied the belief, the team-building excursion, and now the superhero labels. Minnesota will soon learn what Mr. Incredible and Frozone can accomplish during their first season together.
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Burtland Dixon Burtland Dixon is a sports journalist covering the NBA and athlete culture for Heavy.com. A former Division II athlete turned journalist, he offers a unique blend of locker room perspective and storytelling expertise. He has more than eight years of experience in digital media and previously served as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with additional bylines at Idolator, Trend Chaser, and Buzznet. Burtland is based between California and New York. Instagram: @showmi_more More about Burtland Dixon