With Karl-Anthony Towns no longer in Minnesota, rising Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is going through some growing pains this year, expressing frustration about receiving so much attention from opposing defenses, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
Edwards admitted that he’s sometimes not sure how to handle traps and double-teams and admitted that it’s “not fun” to have his scoring opportunities limited and the ball taken out of his hands. As Krawczynski details, Edwards’ “trademark spirit” seems to be lacking as of late, and it didn’t help matters that fellow stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum has big games in wins over Minnesota this week.
“He’s doing a really good job. It’s tough,” teammate Julius Randle said. “I know it’s frustrating. But that’s just the player that he is. He’s that special that nobody is going to guard him straight up. We gotta continue to try to help him out.”
As Krawczynski points out, players like Gilgeous-Alexander and Tatum are a few years ahead of Edwards on the developmental curve, so there’s plenty of optimism that the Timberwolves guard will eventually figure out how best to attack defenses by balancing his scoring and play-making.
“I think everybody has been playing good on my team besides me,” Edwards said. “I got to figure it out, figure out ways to help them. They have been hitting shots lately. I got to figure out a way to get myself involved in the offense by not letting the double-team take me out. I’ll figure it out.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- The Knicks tried their best to retain Isaiah Hartenstein over the summer, but the veteran center believes the outcome of his free agency – he signed with the Thunder, while New York replaced him by trading for Towns – has been “perfect” for both sides, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “I’m in a situation here (in OKC) where it’s going really good. They got a great center, one of the best centers in the league,” Hartenstein said before facing his old team on Friday. “So I think for both parties it was perfect. Knowing (Knicks president of basketball operations) Leon Rose, he’ll always find something. He’s been doing a great job, so he made the right adjustment.”
- Besides helping to anchor the defense, Hartenstein has added a new dynamic to the Thunder‘s offense with his passing, as Rylan Stiles of SI.com outlines.
- Speaking to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Trail Blazers rookie center Donovan Clingan admitted that he’s still adjusting to the speed of the NBA game and that he may have hit the rookie wall “a little bit” during the first few months of his professional career. Head coach Chauncey Billups said he’s got to “do a better job” of putting Clingan in the best possible position to succeed, but noted that the team anticipated it would take the big man some time to get comfortable going up against the best players in the world. “He’s playing against players that are better than players he’s ever seen every single night, to be honest with you,” Billups said. “So the mobility of some of these guys and the versatility of some of these guys have been tough for him.”
- Entering the 2024/25 season, Nikola Jokic was a 35.0% three-point shooter across nine years in the NBA. This season, the Nuggets center is making a league-leading 47.9% of his triples. Tony Jones of The Athletic takes a closer look at how Jokic’s work in the offseason and preseason helped the three-time MVP become an even more dangerous offensive player.
Minnesota messed with something they should have left alone. Thinking after one really good season that you’re an elite team, and then starts changing the pieces…huge mistake. They’ll be lucky to win 44 games this year.
agreed. although KAT is playing near or at his ceiling in NY.
It was money related. Not saying that justifies it but that was the reason for that trade.
I thought Edwards was the next superstar? Can’t handle traps or double teams, yeah not so easy when you’re the #1 target of opposing defenses.
His anointment as heir apparent to the throne of USA basketball players was a bit premature.
He’s 23 years old, he’ll be fine. He’s still playing well. Randle is actually playing better than I thought. I hate to say it because I love his game but it’s on Conley. They need a better point guard.
He was compared to Michael Jordan, maybe it is time yall realise he isnt even comparable to Shai and Tatum
The average US player in the draft is the next heir apparent every year… Ant has talent but needs help.. He ain’t no MJ and even MJ needed Pippen…
We’ve got Doncic, Wemby and Jokic from international stocks instead… Because the NCAA and McDonalds high school stuff doesn’t preper kids for the NBA…
Time and time again we see that playing a closer form of the game in international leagues is beneficial for young players developing into superstars…
We shall see if Edwards can take it to a new level. The NBA needs an American superstar.
I mean Zion, Ja, Chet, Flagg and Dybantsa could all still be usa superstars, Tatum as well. But none of them will be better than the international guys aka Wemby or Jokic
Zions too fat and lazy to be jack SQUAT
Or Americans could just learn to embrace people from other parts of the world. Crazy I know.
Ant isn’t really a leader at this stage of his career—if he ever truly becomes one. Playing with spirit and bravado is easy when things are going well, but the mark of a true leader is how they handle things when times get tough. He’ll be fine, but it seems as if the Wolves are missing more than just Towns’s offensive production, which is not something I thought I’d be saying a couple of years ago.
MIN had one 50+ win season (last season), but to read posts here one would think that MIN had a long run of championship level seasons prior to the KAT-Randle trade, and all their problems this year are the result of that trade. History, on the other hand, as well as common sense, and optics, suggest that most of their issues this year would be the same with or without the trade.
When a young guy like Edwards comes into his own as a #1 option over the back half of a season and through a long playoff run, the next season almost always sees some regression. A different #2 option (Randle vs KAT) isn’t a plus, but its not the source of the problem. The weight of expectations and opponent adjustments are far more relevant.
Also hilarious to hear people talk about last year’s great “fit” in MIN between Gobert and KAT. It was such a great fit that nobody noticed it for 2 years until last season had ended. In fact, the two were a poor fit in all but a few situations, as confirmed by Finch’s rotation of the two. On the court together, KAT becomes a 50 mm /year floor spacer for a 40 mm/ year C that can’t post. Sorry, 2k’ers, that’s not a fit anyone aspires to create. If Gobert and KAT were a better combination than Gobert and Randle are, then it’s only because KAT is a better player than Randle. The fit with Gobert is actually better with Randle.
A lot of people think that a duo of Ant and KAT would be unstoppable with the right pieces around them…
Problem was Gobert is almost the right fit but overpaid…
And Dlo was on the roster before that…
They could only be unstoppable on offense, and only if you put KAT at C, flanked by two real F’s. With Gobert (or frankly any other C without much of an offensive game) it’s not going to be unstoppable. You turn KAT into a perimeter player exclusively. Nothing unique about putting a 40% 3 pt shooter next to a superstar perimeter talent. Here they would also continue to suffer from McDaniel being more of a 4 than a 3.
Randle is not a better fit than Towns even if DXC says so.
Towns’ game is perimeter oriented therefore giving more space for not only Gobert but Edwards as well. The most dynamic player on the Wolves roster is forced to take threes because Randle needs needs his space to operate. In addition Gobert is one of the better lob targets in the NBA but that’s limited there as well because of Randle’s need to be on the elbow or post. Towns is a better entry passer as he’s taller and can find better angles to get the ball in a position where Gobert can actually do something with it one he gets it.
Defensively Randle is horrible fit because he simply doesn’t play defense. Gobert, McDaniels and Edwards can’t commit to doing their jobs because they have to compensate for Randle. Towns isn’t a rim protector but he’s assertive on the perimeter therefore leaving Gobert to roam the paint and shut down opposing players drives.
Edwards hasn’t regressed. His scoring is down slightly but he’s shooting deep balls better. He’s defecting the blame from Connelly’s poor decision by trading Towns to himself.
Sorry, Taco, but you don’t understand Randle’s game at all, or Towns’ very much. Or, for that matter, what is generally intended when basketball people use the word “fit” (I guess a better player can always be said to “fit” better, but that’s not a fit issue, as such).
Randle doesn’t post at all, almost all of his offense is generated from the perimeter-in. Because he shoots the 3 well enough when left open, and he’s almost impossible to stop once he gets momentum toward the basket, he is an effective floor spacer for a 4. He doesn’t utilize interior space without the ball. Towns, on the other hand, has a great interior and mid-range post game, although it can’t be effectively used when Gobert is on the court with him (that’s what generally would be explained as a bad “fit”). Of course, Towns is a much better 3 point shooter, and thus can space the floor with that; but it’s a waste of his overall skill set to limit him to 3 point shooting, which is what happens when he and Gobert play together. Nothing in the two games should be impacting Edwards’ space in any significant way. Randle’s tendency to take more time with the ball might mean there are fewer minutes for Edwards to have it, but that isn’t a serious fit issue, more something that might require some adjustment. Randle should be able to help Edwards get open shots and lanes via his own ability to pass off the dribble which Towns does not have.
As far as defense goes, neither Randle or Towns are pluses. Randle takes plays off, and can’t defend at the C spot at all. Together they’ll always keep him in 2k’er category of a bad defender. But Randle has a F’s feet (Towns has slower feet even for a C), and, strictly vs PFs, Randle would usually make the better defender.
Jokic vs Wemby is going to give us years of joy…
Great back to back set of games…
Stop having Edwards iniciate the offense for a start, especially in a pick game. Too much iso and can be blitzed. Wolves need a PG desperately. Conley has been decent but old and small. Then they draft Dillingham….small. also gave up the farm for a centre who can’t close. Bargain basement in the off season. If it works great, if not, oh well. Lonzo.
They’re pretty screwed until Rudy is off the books…
Gonna have to hope he wants to get a cheaper longer deal at some point and renegotiates a team friendly deal…
Otherwise the Wolves are stuck…