Minnesota Timberwolves need to watch out for the little guy
By Bret Stuter
When the Minnesota Timberwolves needed a player to step up this season and lead the offense in scoring, shooting guard Anthony Edwards was more than happy to step up for the team. When the Minnesota Timberwolves needed a player to help on defense, to challenge and contest the myriad of shots that seemed to fall in the basket better than opposing players’ season averages, Anthony Edwards was more than happy to step up for the team in that role as well.
When the Minnesota Timberwolves needed a player to step up and serve as a segue point guard after D’Angelo Russell shared that he was no longer comfortable in the role, and while backup PG Jordan McLaughlin fought through injuries, it was Anthony Edwards who stepped up once more.
But now, having exhausted the banged-up but durable shooting guard, the Timberwolves need to step up for Anthony Edwards. In the month of April 2023, his regular season average was:
33.0 minutes | 29.8 points | 7.0 rebounds | 4.0 assists | 1.5 blocks | 2.0 steals
But so far in the NBA Play-In Tournament, he has only averaged:
41.0 minutes | 14.0 points | 9.0 rebounds | 5.5 assists | 2.0 blocks | 1.5 steals
Without Jaden McDaniels, Edwards has had to focus on defense more than usual. Of course, there is the fact that Edwards took a terrifying tumble against the Los Angeles Lakers that shook up Edwards, but did not result in a trip to the locker room.
light. Hot. 3 ways Tim Connelly built the Minnesota Timberwolves roster to beat the Nuggets
Of course, a tumble like that can have lingering effects:
Anthony Edwards on how he's feeling physically...
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) April 13, 2023
"I’m all right. I’m good. I’ll be ready to go tomorrow... I don’t make excuses. Just an off night."
The Minnesota Timberwolves play a best-of-seven series in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs against the Denver Nuggets. While the Timberwolves face an uphill battle in this one, the team will need to step up while the star shooting guard Anthony Edwards gets back into his groove.
Next. Projected Timberwolves starting lineup against Nuggets in Game 1 of Western Conference first round series. dark
The Timberwolves showed that ability to put up an entire team effort in their Game 3 victory in the NBA Play-In Tournament against the Oklahoma City Thunder. If the team can replicate that same effort against the Denver Nuggets long enough for Edwards to return to his normal form, this can be a very intriguing NBA Playoff series.