Last season, Anthony Edwards became a clutch-time monster. His 5.6 clutch points per game ranked second in the NBA, only trailing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and he shot a staggering 56.5 percent from the field. Notably, Edwards had never previously shot above 50 percent from the field in clutch situations.
The central reason behind Edwards' clutch-time leap was that he added a mid-range shot, which diversified his scoring profile, making him less predictable. What's so impressive about Edwards' clutch-time growth is that the Minnesota Timberwolves' roster around him was less than ideal, with a lack of playmaking being at the crux of their flaws.
Now, though, with LaMelo Ball in the mix, Ant can further improve in the clutch, and that thought should put opposing teams on notice. With further growth, Edwards could very well establish himself as the most feared clutch-time player (he's not far off from this title as is).
Amid all the many advantages that Ball brings to the table, this one is flying under the radar.
How LaMelo Ball can help Anthony Edwards in the clutch
LaMelo's elite playmaking and perimeter scoring abilities will make life easier for Ant in every way. Regarding clutch time in particular, LaMelo's playmaking will allow Edwards to score in more ways. Before, he was overtaxed as a self-creator and playmaker. It didn't matter most of the time because he thrived, but being able to score off the catch more will help him.
Moreover, Ball's blending of playmaking and scoring will help Edwards leading up to clutch time. Meaning the Wolves won't count on Ant nearly as much for the first 43 minutes, but in the last five minutes, he can dominate. Having some extra energy at the end of games can make Edwards even more dominant.
For most of the game, the Timberwolves can run a system that's focused on ball movement and empowers everyone as scorers, before letting Ant cook down the stretch.
Of course, Edwards will still get his in the early portions of the game, but the point is that he won't be as heliocentric as in years prior thanks to LaMelo. In turn, this should help the Timberwolves' offense become less predictable. We saw the New York Knicks play this same style of offense with Jalen Brunson during their NBA Finals run, and it's possible this yields similar strong results for Minnesota.
The Timberwolves talked about this style of everybody-eats offense before having Edwards take them home at the end of games last season. Their lack of a natural playmaker never allowed this blueprint to come to fruition. That will be a different story for the Timberwolves this season.
All in all, LaMelo should elevate Edwards and the Timberwolves' offense in every possible way, including in clutch time.
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