As the Minnesota Timberwolves find themselves down 3-2 to the San Antonio Spurs, much of the discourse is understandably centered around the lack of dependable shot creation next to Anthony Edwards. This is evident from watching Julius Randle struggle mightily.
However, simply watching how the Spurs guard Edwards says everything you need to know about the Wolves' lack of secondary creation.
After Edwards' terrific Game 3 and 4 performances, the Spurs started to double him more. Even in these two games, Ant beat doubles a good amount en route to back-to-back 30-plus point outings. Edwards scored 20 points on 6-for-13 shooting when the pressure amped up in Game 5.
The Spurs' relentless defense certainly limited Edwards' involvement, and I think there could have been more off-ball actions to negate the doubles. Despite having four turnovers, I thought Ant generally handled the Spurs' increased pressure well (and frankly, some of his turnovers should have been charged to his teammates).
Regardless, the big picture is that the Spurs feel comfortable playing such an aggressive style of defense, partly due to the Wolves' limited shot creation and ball handling outside of Ant.
The Spurs constantly doubling Ant highlights a flawed Timberwolves roster
When Edwards is on the ball, the Spurs double him; on pick-and-rolls, they blitz him. Even when he's off the ball, San Antonio is face guarding him. Simply put, the Spurs are committing to an "anyone but Ant" strategy, and if Game 5 is any indication, this will help them close out the series on Friday.
Sure, there have been a few mistakes, and maybe things would be different if Edwards were fully healthy, but he has generally handled this difficult coverage well.
The Wolves' supporting cast could do a better job of cutting off the ball when Ant is doubled, and of course, their overall production needs to increase.
Notably, in this series, Randle is averaging just 14.8 points on 36.6 percent shooting from the field and 21.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc while committing more turnovers (3.6) than assists (1.6).
Jaden McDaniels has been a bit more productive (and certainly hasn't dealt with the same turnover problems), averaging 15.2 points on 40.5 percent shooting. Ayo Dosunmu had a stellar Game 5 but has otherwise struggled, averaging 9.3 points on 33.3 percent shooting from the field.
I don't want to put too much of the blame on Randle. Nevertheless, the reality is that the Wolves are counting on him as the second option, and he has failed to produce at this level. Randle's lack of floor spacing further complicates matters for the Wolves.
Rudy Gobert isn't counted on to initiate offense, but he is averaging just 8 points on 51.7 percent shooting. His inability to be an efficient play finisher and lack of floor spacing have made it easier for the Spurs to sell out on Ant.
As mentioned, part of this is simply players underperforming. However, another factor is that the Timberwolves haven't built a roster to support Ant, especially in the ball handling/playmaking department.
Maybe Edwards can work his magic and will the Wolves to a series win. Or maybe they'll suddenly find more creation next to him. That doesn't seem likely at all, though.
Truthfully, this series has put the Wolves' lack of dependable creation and ball handling next to Ant under a microscope, and Tim Connelly will have to make some key roster changes this summer.
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