Timberwolves head coach throws shade at former star while discussing LaMelo Ball addition

Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch's admission about how LaMelo Ball has already impacted the franchise might be viewed as a shot at a former star.

The Timberwolves made one of the boldest trades of the summer when they acquired LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets. While Ball is an extremely talented point guard, he is yet to play a playoff game in the NBA, with the Wolves hoping he has an instant winning impact.

Ball's addition to the Timberwolves has led to an evident morale boost within the locker room, with head coach Chris Finch making a pointed remark about what the team lost and what it gained with Ball.

Chris Finch's comments about LaMelo Ball viewed as shade towards Julius Randle

Finch spoke about Ball's addition to the team before a preseason game against the New York Knicks, highlighting Ball's positive energy in the locker room matching that of franchise star Anthony Edwards.

"He's always in a great mood. Always comes in smiling. He and Anthony have a shared quality: they're really hard to stay mad at. And they do some things that you want to get mad at. They have a reflective joy."

However, Finch's assertion that the Wolves 'traded moodiness for giddiness' has many feeling that's a pointed reference to former Timberwolves star Julius Randle.

"We referred to ourselves as a moody team in the last couple of years, at times, and it's probably gotten in our way. We've traded moodiness for giddiness. So, we've gotta get to some sort of happy medium."

The Timberwolves salary-dumped Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in the offseason, getting nothing in return except the cap space to acquire Ball a few weeks later.

Another outgoing star, Naz Reid, was very well-liked within the Wolves organisation and by the fanbase, so many think this has to be about Randle.

Despite Randle averaging 21.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in the regular season, his numbers dropped drastically to 16.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in the playoffs, with many theorising that Randle lost motivation in the postseason.

Finch did maintain he needed to find a middle ground between the lows of last season and the highs of this preseason, so he will have to be the steady rock in the locker room that keeps emotions and expectations tempered all season.