Anybody who watches the Minnesota Timberwolves often knows that Anthony Edwards' defense has been lackluster this season. ESPN's Tim MacMahon spoke to this issue on a recent episode of The Hoop Collective podcast.
"Ant has a reputation for being an elite two-way player. And obviously, he is a superstar; he is one of the best offensive players in the league. He has the reputation because he is capable of being a dominant defender. He doesn't choose to be that often these days," MacMahon said.
MacMahon's comments are a breath of fresh air. Whenever Ant gets discussed in the mainstream media, he is praised for his elite scoring and often mentioned as an elite two-way player. However, the defensive aspect of his game has been nonexistent in most games this year. Just like every other star in the league, Ant deserves to be held to an elite standard, and right now, his defense is far behind his offense.
Anthony Edwards' poor defense is hurting the Wolves
While the Wolves still have a top 10 defense overall, they rank 29th in defensive rating this month per Cleaning the Glass. The Wolves' last two losses against the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Clippers were embarrassing defensively.
Edwards is a key part of these shortcomings, and he must set the tone as a leader better. His defensive performance against the Pelicans was especially pathetic. Ant-Man allowed 21 points and held his opponents to 9-for-11 shooting from the field.
Anthony Edwards Defense Tape 2/6 vs NOP
— Hoopology (@hoopologyxx) February 8, 2026
~ 21 Points Allowed
~ Held Opponents to 9/11 FG (as primary def)
- 2 Blocks
- 37 Minutes
Thoughts on his defense?
*Not every clip included goes towards the Opp FG%, but I included all relevant clips of his defense from the game* pic.twitter.com/xEo4AaCgfX
Off the ball, Ant was disengaged and slow to rotate over. On the ball, the Pelicans beat him off the dribble, overpowering him with both speed and strength. After the game, Rudy Gobert called out his teammates' lack of effort, and it was clear that Edwards was one of the players he was talking about, even if he didn't directly say it.
This is far from an outlier game from Edwards this season. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Wolves are 7.9 points worse on defense per 100 possessions with Edwards off the floor -- a number that ranks in the 7th percentile.
The most frustrating part is that Edwards struggles largely have to do with effort. Ant-Man is a freak athlete with the ideal frame to lock down perimeter players. And he's proven that when he's engaged, he's a true two-way star. To MacMahon's point, though, the problem is that he's rarely giving it 100 percent this year, especially when the Wolves aren't playing one of the league's top teams.
As we enter the final portion of the season, it will be vital for Edwards to remain engaged on defense. If not, the Wolves will face an uphill battle to host a playoff series, and they could fall into the Play-In.