Anthony Edwards must help the Timberwolves solve their fatal flaw

Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves have struggled in the clutch in recent years.
May 10, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) smirks after being fouled by the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter during game three in the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
May 10, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) smirks after being fouled by the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter during game three in the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Undoubtedly, Anthony Edwards is an elite superstar and one of the NBA's most complete scorers. The 24-year-old has led the Minnesota Timberwolves to two consecutive Western Conference finals. Despite Edwards' greatness, he has struggled in clutch time. Notably, last season Edwards shot 42.6 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from beyond the arc, while committing more turnovers (15) than assists (13) in clutch time.

Edwards' struggles were paired with clutch time issues for the team. The Wolves played in the league's most clutch-time games (46), but they ranked 24th in win percentage. Additionally, the Wolves ranked 20th in offensive rating and 24th in defensive rating. These problems are nothing new for the Wolves, as they haven't ranked above average in clutch net rating during the Ant era, and Edwards has never shot 45 percent or higher from the field in the clutch.

It's no coincidence that the two teams in the NBA Finals ranked in the top five in clutch-time winning percentage and net rating. For the Wolves to reach their full potential, cleaning up some of their clutch time issues will be essential.

Both Edwards and Chris Finch acknowledged that this problem must be addressed on media day.

Edwards and the Wolves must improve in the clutch to reach their ceiling

As Edwards matures, entering his sixth season, becoming an elite clutch-time player is key. Of course, Edwards has still had big moments late in games throughout his career. However, for the most part, Edwards has been an ineffective clutch-time player. Edwards needs to work on his shot selection and decision-making in the clutch.

While he's an elite all-around scorer and difficult shot maker, Edwards needs to be more patient and find better shots in the clutch.

Playmaking overall will be an area of growth for Edwards, and this will be the most impactful during late-game situations. With Mike Conley aging, it's possible that the Wolves could look to empower Edwards more as a lead ball handler. Nevertheless, he must make better reads and work on his ability to orchestrate the offense.

Edwards had a massive 38.8 usage rate in the clutch, and this often caused the Wolves' offense to be predictable. Yes, your stars need to make big plays, but Edwards also needs to get his teammates involved more, especially Julius Randle, who had a 16.4 usage rate in the clutch. Part of these clutch-time problems falls on Finch, and implementing some more creative schemes down the stretch could also help.

While the Wolves struggled in clutch time during the regular season, the playoffs were a positive sign for Minnesota. The Wolves ranked first in clutch time net rating in the playoffs and posted a 4-1 record. Edwards shot 50 percent from the field and didn't commit a single turnover during clutch time playoff games. This was paired with Finch implementing a more everybody eats style of offense.

The Wolves have title aspirations, but their clutch time play must improve to see playoff success and secure a high seed in the West. Ultimately, the playoffs and the team's focus on improving this issue should give Wolves fans some optimism.