Root Against: Passive Ant
Last game against the Toronto Raptors notwithstanding, Edwards has cooled off considerably since his sizzling start with the Towns-less Timberwolves. Prior to the matchup with the Raptors, Edwards had missed twenty straight three-point attempts.
Before the Raptors game, it had been six straight games where he had shot less than his season average of 20.6 attempts per game and it is now seven games since he has shot at least 50% from the field.
While the issue certainly does not fall entirely on Ant, his mini-slump has undoubtedly contributed to the Timberwolves' slow offensive starts of late. During Towns’ absence, they are 13th overall in offensive rating. However, during the first quarter, they are 27th in offensive rating during these 14 games (8th on the season as a whole). The slow offensive starts are a habit they must break out of before the playoffs and Edwards will be a critical part of that.
Timberwolves fans have seen enough of Ant in big games to have confidence that he will turn it on when the lights are brightest. However, as we have seen, these final six games will have a major impact on not only the Wolves' playoff path but also the confidence level that they will enter the playoffs with.