When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded away Karl-Anthony Towns and his $220 million contract, much of Towns’ offensive responsibilities and subsequent defensive attention shifted to the burgeoning superstar. , was expected to go to Anthony Edwards.
So far, it’s not working.
The Timberwolves lost 118-115 to the Boston Celtics on Thursday, dropping their record to 17-16 on the year, although they advanced to the Western Conference finals with a 56-26 record. It was a tough game for Edwards, who finished with 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting, along with six assists and two turnovers.
Edwards had a lot to say after the game about the double teams he faced. Speaking to reporters, including Dane Moore, Edwards said he was not interested in a style of play that required him to pass from double teams.
“That’s a good brand of basketball, but of course that’s not the way I want to play. I’m only 23 years old, so I’m not going to just pass the ball all night. … But the way they play… I think I have to do that to protect me.”
Edwards also said it was “very difficult” to stay engaged while being double-teamed and that he didn’t know what to do.
“They double me down, definitely like, ‘Brother, what’s going on?'” I’m trying to figure it out…I don’t know what to do, to be honest. But I don’t want to seem like I’m not trying or that I’m not as good as I am. , But I can’t show it because I’m being double teamed.
“It’s definitely frustrating to see them cooking us, and I can’t cook them.”
That’s not what you want to hear from a young player who represents the future foundation of an entire team. It’s also not hard to imagine any NBA team reading those words and interpreting them as, “Keep double-teaming Anthony Edwards. It’s working.”
Anthony Edwards doesn’t enjoy other teams double-teaming him. (Jesse Johnson – Imagen Images)
Rather than taking another leap forward in Towns’ absence, Edwards has been about as productive overall as he was last year, though less so over the past two weeks. During that span, he shot 39.3% and scored 18.9 points per game as Minnesota went 3-5.
Of course, Edwards isn’t the first young player to face regular double teams. This is basically a rite of passage for NBA superstars, and the answer is always to either learn how to score through that double team or make teams even more afraid of the possibility of finding the open man. What’s strange is that Edwards has made it clear he has little interest in the second option.
Fortunately, he and the Timberwolves have plenty of time to adjust. Their next chance to advance will be on the road against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
