The Timberwolves should make San Antonio defend outside before they try to score over Victor Wembanyama. For Saturday’s October 31 matchup, I want LaMelo Ball using the perimeter to stretch the Spurs’ defense, with quick passes and willing shooters making Wembanyama choose how far he wants to follow the action.
Minnesota just beat the Clippers 127-101 on Friday, according to Basketball Reference. Carrying that offense into San Antonio means adapting it to a different obstacle. My preference is clear: use Ball to create the first opening outside, then attack the space that appears behind it. Driving straight into the middle and hoping to finish over Wembanyama is an assignment I’d give the Wolves as little as possible.
The Spurs’ early numbers point outside
Through San Antonio’s first five games, opponents have made 142 of 286 two-point attempts, or 49.7%, per Basketball Reference’s Spurs page. Outside the arc, they have made 63 of 160, or 39.4%. Those are the two numbers that should shape Minnesota’s shot selection.
Five games won’t establish what San Antonio will allow all season. Opponents missing a few more threes would change that percentage quickly. I still think the split gives Minnesota a sensible place to begin: look for a clean perimeter chance before accepting a difficult finish inside.
Wembanyama’s individual numbers strengthen that preference. Basketball Reference lists him at 3.8 blocks per game over those five appearances. The problem for a driver goes beyond having a shot rejected. A player who gets deep, stops and tries to find an emergency pass has already let the defense dictate the possession.
I’d rather Ball make that decision earlier. If the screener’s defender stays well back, use the room to find a comfortable jumper. If the defense moves toward the ball, pass while the next receiver still has space. If San Antonio switches, move the action again before everyone settles into position.
Those are choices I want Minnesota to force. The Wolves don’t need to wait for Wembanyama to meet a driver at the basket before deciding where the next pass belongs.
Friday’s passing matters more than repeating the score
The October 30 Basketball Reference box score credits Minnesota with 32 assists and 18 makes in 42 three-point attempts against the Clippers. Ball scored 24 points. Jaden McDaniels added 23 points and seven assists, while Bones Hyland supplied 19 points and eight assists.
The distribution is what I want carried forward. Ball can start a possession without having to supply its last difficult decision. McDaniels and Hyland both have a reason to remain involved after the first pass, whether that means shooting, attacking a closing defender or moving the ball to someone with a cleaner look.
That gives Saturday’s offense a practical test. When Ball gives it up, does the next player keep the advantage alive? A catch followed by a long survey lets San Antonio recover. A quick shot or an immediate pass asks the defense to keep moving. I’d accept an open miss much more readily than a possession that stalls while everyone waits for Ball to get the ball back.
This is also where our case for McDaniels taking more threes fits the matchup. I want him ready when a pass arrives outside. He should still attack a defender running past him, but turning down space by default would make Minnesota easier to guard.
Hyland’s part should follow the same principle. His Friday assists give us something useful to build on in the case for his bench playmaking role. When he takes over a possession, I’d keep the same demand: make the next read before the defense has closed the window.
Spread the floor without abandoning the paint
A perimeter plan still needs someone threatening the basket. I’d keep the screener moving toward the rim when the defense commits to Ball. Otherwise, San Antonio can send help outside without worrying about what it leaves behind.
The pass inside should come because Minnesota has moved the defense. A roll into an opening, a cut behind someone watching Ball or a drive against a hard closeout is the kind of interior attempt I’d pursue. Each gives the finisher a better starting point than taking on a waiting rim protector from a standing start.
I would also keep a shooter available behind the drive. Beating the first defender doesn’t obligate the ball handler to finish. If Wembanyama steps toward the basket, the pass back outside should remain part of the play. Minnesota should be comfortable making him turn around and defend another action.
The Wolves’ roster and depth chart offers several ways to arrange those jobs. My priority would be clear spacing around the ball handler and a receiver prepared to act immediately. Loading the lane with teammates waiting for an interior pass would work against the very advantage Minnesota is trying to create.
There is a cost to careless passing here. Basketball Reference credits San Antonio with 49 steals and 33 blocks in five games. I want short, available passes that preserve movement, with the ambitious crosscourt delivery reserved for a clear opening. A plan to avoid difficult finishes fails if it simply produces turnovers farther from the hoop.
ESPN’s event feed lists Saturday’s tip at 7 p.m. Central, with Minnesota 4-2 and San Antonio 3-2. It also lists Anthony Edwards out. I’d judge the Wolves’ offense by the decisions it creates for everyone around Ball, especially when the first option disappears.
Make Wembanyama move before asking anyone to finish over him.