During most Minnesota Timberwolves games, Anthony Edwards is going to get his fair share of points. That was again the case on Saturday after Ant Man scored 17 in the opening frame en route to a 34-point afternoon.
The problem, though, is that the rest of the team combined to only tally 58 points, and nobody else had more than 14. Despite Edwards’ typical high-scoring outing, the Timberwolves fell by 27 points at home to the Orlando Magic. This game, and others as well, remind fans that finding that consistent second scoring option comes playoff time may not be easy.
If games like this happen in the playoffs the Timberwolves will all but guaranteed an early exit.
Julius Randle has been struggling of late
Last year, at least for the first two rounds of the playoffs, Julius Randle was that second guy that the Wolves were able to count on to put the ball in the basket. He averaged 23.9 points over those two series against the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. He was more inconsistent against the (great) Oklahoma City Thunder defense, alternating games of 20-plus points with single-digit ones. With a terrible past in the postseason with the New York Knicks, it was nice to see.
While his scoring average was similar, the 31-year-old Randle scored with much better efficiency after the All-Star break last year. That hasn’t been the case so far this season. In eight games since the break, Randle has been shooting just 39.6 percent from the field and 16.0 percent from beyond the arc. Before the break, those numbers were at 49.2 percent and 32.5 percent, respectively. His scoring average is nearly eight points less when comparing after the break to before.
Otherwise, who else would even be a candidate to become that consistent second scorer? Jaden McDaniels is in the midst of a career-best season on offense, but he just went without a field goal against Orlando (as did Donte DiVincenzo, who went scoreless). This season, McDaniels does have 16 games of at least 20 points, but he also has nearly as many with less than 10 (14).
The Timberwolves win more often when Rudy Gobert scores more, but he’ll never get the necessary touches to score big. Naz Reid remains one of the most productive reserves in the league, but in five of his last 11 contests, he hasn’t reached 10 points.
At their ceiling, Minnesota is one of the true title contenders. They have also experienced some duds where thinking of a championship seems laughable. It’s pertinent that Randle gets going on offense, as he’s the obvious choice to be the needed secondary scorer in the playoffs for the Wolves.