Whether it's seeding, contention status, or defense, there's plenty of uncertainty around the Minnesota Timberwolves right now. However, one thing that should be certain is that Anthony Edwards makes them a team that nobody should want to face come playoff time. This might seem like a simple line of thinking, but it's hard to argue, especially with how dominant Edwards has been this year.
Ant-Man is a proven playoff performer and is in the midst of a career season. He is averaging 29.5 points on 49.3/39.8/78.5 shooting splits this season. Edwards' growth as a late-game scorer and mid-range threat has helped him reach another level.Â
Come playoff time, building a gameplan to contain Edwards will be a challenging task, and this (along with other factors) makes the Wolves an undesirable playoff matchup.
Anthony Edwards' growth makes him a matchup nightmare
Ant's growth as a mid-range and clutch scorer can't be understated. Notably, he is shooting 44.6 percent on 3.8 mid-range attempts per game. Becoming a truly elite three-level scorer as, in turn, has made Ant less predictable late in games, leading to him shooting an absurd 56 percent from the field in clutch situations.Â
The phrase I've used all season long to describe the challenge of guarding Edwards is pick your poison. He can beat you even if there's the slightest crack at one of these three levels. There's simply no clear blueprint to containing him as a scorer, and you're going to have to live with him beating you in one way or another.
At the surface level, you could say load up on him and force him to playmake. Admittedly, this will likely be the gameplan, and Edwards still isn't a great playmaker. Regardless, we've seen Ant overcome this type of coverage before, and teams often try this in the regular season.
A recent game against the Denver Nuggets is proof that Edwards can get his teammates involved and has improved at handling double teams. He posted 21 points and six assists en route to a Wolves win. Ant's ability to move off the ball and his elite difficult shot-making abilities also help him deal with double teams.Â
I'd be remiss not to mention the Wolves' complementary talent. If you're helping off of the likes of Donte DiVincenzo, Naz Reid, or Jaden McDaniels, they'll make you pay for this strategy on the perimeter. Laugh if you will, but leaving Rudy Gobert open around the rim is also something that could backfire. And if doubling Edwards gives Julius Randle an advantageous matchup -- that's something he'll punish teams for.
While Edwards' elite scoring is the Wolves' main advantage, the talent around him maximizes this strength.
How the Timberwolves match up with other playoff teams
Currently, the Wolves are jockeying for seeding with the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Lakers. With these teams separated by two games, any matchup is possible in the first round. Thankfully for the Timberwolves, none of these teams is well-equipped to stop Ant.
The Lakers and Nuggets are rank bottom 10 for defensive rating. In fairness to the Nuggets, they are slightly better equipped to deal with Ant. Peyton Watson and Spencer Jones give them two high-quality options to throw at Edwards. While the Lakers only have one high-end perimeter defender, Marcus Smart, and they have more holes on the perimeter.Â
With Amen Thompson and Tari Eason, the Rockets are the best-positioned of this bunch to stop the Wolves. Still, it's unclear if this is the perfect recipe to stop Edwards, especially given Alperen Sengun's deficiencies as a rim protector.Â
Looking ahead, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs both have elite defenses. I'm sure both teams would rather play the Rockets or Lakers, though. Denver is up for debate due to the Nikola Jokic factor. Regardless, both the Thunder and Spurs have elite rim protection, so they might prefer a matchup against a center.Â
Whether the Timberwolves are the toughest second round matchup for one of the top two teams is up for debate, but I guarantee you nobody wants to see Anthony Edwards in the playoffs.Â