As the start of the 2025-2026 NBA season approaches, one goal for the Minnesota Timberwolves is to pick up the pace and get more into transition. Notably, last season the Wolves ranked just 25th in pace and 29th in transition points. Prioritizing a faster playstyle makes sense given their past struggles. Additionally, it plays to the strengths of Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Terrence Shannon Jr. and Rob Dillingham.
However, key players like Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert obviously play at a slower pace. This, combined with the Wolves’ slow pace and poor transition play over the past two seasons, makes it reasonable to be skeptical of this target.
In a recent podcast episode of the Dane Moore NBA Podcast, Timberwolves analyst Dane Moore recently expressed some caution when discussing this aspect of the Wolves season. One of Moore’s bold predictions was that Wolves would finish in the bottom five in terms of pace.
“I’m mainly selling this idea that this is what it takes,” Moore said when discussing his skepticism that the Timberwolves were playing at a faster pace. Or that it takes a while for it to last, just the habits of getting up and running. The habits of if you’re Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards, not always coming back to the ball, and instead trying to run the floor for that hit-by-pass. And then just some of the ideas that this is a team that just plays slow. of recent years.”
Because this is a bold prediction, Moore doesn’t fully believe in it. Nevertheless, it’s reasonable to expect this trend to continue, despite the emphasis on playing at a faster pace, for a team that has ranked in the bottom 10 in pace over the past two seasons.
Picking up the pace and going into transition would be a significant change for the Wolves
Moore’s point about habits is crucial. While many Wolves do well when playing at a faster pace, several do not. Even players who should excel at pushing the pace, like Edwards, need to develop better transition habits. Despite being one of the league’s most explosive athletes, Edwards ranked in the 67th percentile in transition play. Developing as a playmaker and running more off the ball will help Ant in this area. Randle has the tools to be effective in transition, but has only ranked above the 50th percentile once in transition.
Simply put, the Wolves’ two best players need to improve their transition habits and efficiency. Certainly, young guys like Shannon and Dillingham will help. But how much can Shannon help, and will Dillingham play enough to help change the Wolves’ pace?
Another important issue is that increasing the pace lends itself to more sales. And this is an area where Wolves have struggled. Particularly during the Edwards era, the Wolves were below league average in revenue per game. Additionally, the Wolves lack playmaking and point guard play.
Although Chris Finch has openly discussed the desire to play faster if it leads to even more turnovers, it is unlikely that this will remain a focus. It’s hard to take a ton away from the preseason. So far, however, only the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers have played at a slower pace than Minnesota.
Ultimately, despite the way the Wolves have focused on picking up the pace and getting out in transition, I don’t expect a huge stylistic change.
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