Anthony Edwards is undoubtedly one of the league's best players. However, even great players have flaws and ways to contain them. For the Minnesota Timberwolves star, this involves being physical and forcing Ant to be a playmaker. In last year's playoffs, Edwards somewhat struggled with physicality.
Loading up on Edwards and forcing him into being a playmaker seems to be the blueprint to contain him for now. This is exactly what we saw against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. In all likelihood, more teams will guard Edwards in this manner going forward.
It's worth noting that he was already the most blitzed player on pick-and-rolls last season. Additionally, Cleaning the Glass ranks Edwards in the 10th percentile for assist-to-usage rate. Now, things could change if Edwards develops as a playmaker or grows his skill set off the ball. Regardless, for now, there seems to be a clear blueprint to contain the 24-year-old superstar.
Top ten players that have been blitzed most often in pick and rolls this season.
— Owen Phillips (@owenlhjphillips) April 7, 2025
Defenses are loading up on Ant and forcing him to be a playmaker -- last year his blitz % was 9 percent pic.twitter.com/8uUmeWm5jC
Loading up on Edwards and forcing him to be a playmaker has been successful for opposing teams
When looking at some of the defenders who contained Edwards the most effectively, physicality and size are a clear common thread. Lu Dort held him to a combined 28.5 percent shooting from the field, Andrew Nembhard (9.1 percent), Dorian Finney-Smith (22.2 percent in the playoffs), and Amen Thompson (30 percent).
Being guarded by elite on-ball stoppers like this group is challenging, and it only gets harder when considering how frequently Edwards is double-teamed. Against the Thunder, this was especially challenging, and Edwards recorded 23 assists and 18 turnovers. Forcing Edwards to be a playmaker works in part due to his current limitations as a passer, but also because of the lack of 3-point shooting around him.
Outside of Ant, Mike Conley is the lone consistent 3-point shooter in the Wolves' starting lineup. They do have Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo off the bench. Regardless, when it's the Wolves' traditional starting lineup, the Wolves don't have enough shooting to make opponents pay for this strategy.
In terms of dealing with physicality, especially around the rim, Edwards struggled in the playoffs. He shot just 56.1 percent within five feet of the basket in the playoffs, a decline from his 62.1 percent season average. As noted, teams would often load up on Edwards and challenge him with contact.
While there seems to be a blueprint to contain Edwards for now, he has worked all offseason to address his flaws, and he's still just 24. As a result, it's possible Edwards can flip the script on how teams stop him.