Anthony Edwards obviously has immense responsibilities as the Minnesota Timberwolves' best player. The 24-year-old is having a career year, averaging 29.1 points. However, the Wolves aren't entirely dependent on Edwards. In fact, they are 7-1 in Edwards' eight lowest scoring games. Conversely, they are 4-4 in Edwards' eight highest scoring games.
This shouldn't be an indictment of Edwards at all; he's a top-five-level player in the league, and sometimes, the Timberwolves need him to have a monster game. Nevertheless, the Wolves are at their best when the supporting cast is on their A-game.
Monday's win is a perfect example of the best version of the Wolves
Monday night's 35-point win over the Chicago Bulls is a great example of this. Edwards had 23 points and took the second-most shots on the team. This was also Edwards' second-lowest usage rating of the season. It was a solid game for Edwards, but it was truly an all-around team effort.
Naz Reid led the way with 33 points and 18 field goal attempts off the bench. Julius Randle made the offense work, dishing out 14 assists and still making his mark as a scorer (17 points). Bones Hyland and Jaylen Clark both notched double-digit points off the bench.
The Wolves made 30 more passes than their season average and posted an absurd 132 offensive rating.
Yes, the Bulls are far from a formidable defense, but in the NBA, anybody can beat anybody, as the Wolves were reminded over the weekend after losing to the Brooklyn Nets.
This trend isn't specific to the Timberwolves
The NBA is still a star-driven league, of course, but it's becoming more about how well the rest of the roster can complement the team's stars. Look at the last two champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics. Of course, they had superstars, but what made them truly dangerous was how they could overwhelm with different options. Last year's runner-up, the Indiana Pacers, is also a perfect example of this.
The blueprint largely is to have your five players on the court score in a balanced manner for the first 43 minutes and have your star bring you home in the last five minutes. This is what we saw in the Wolves' best win of the season against the Thunder. If the Wolves live up to their offensive potential, they could be in a position to not play in clutch time games as often.
While the Wolves aren't built in the same way as these teams, they have the offensive personnel to present similar challenges for opposing defenses. Between Edwards, Randle, Reid, Hyland, Jaden McDaniels, and Donte DiVincenzo, the Wolves' creation and shooting talent is immense. Plus, Rudy Gobert isn't a perfect offensive player, but he does lead the league in field goal percentage.
The Wolves rank seventh in offensive rating and eighth in 3-point percentage. Of course, Edwards' greatness plays a role in this, but so does the team's surrounding talent.
In some games, the Wolves need Ant to go for 35 or more points. However, the games where they can get a little less production from Edwards and a little more from everyone else are when they are their most dangerous.