The ONE Thing Ant Edwards Must Unlock for a Title
Anthony Edwards’ Next Challenge: Leading the Timberwolves with Consistency
The Pattern of Improvement
Every summer, Anthony Edwards picks one part of his game and works on it until it becomes a strength. Think of it like leveling up in a video game—each offseason, he unlocks a new skill.
His recent upgrades:
-
Two Summers Ago: The Three-Point Shot
- Before: 35.7% on 6.7 attempts per game.
- After: 39.5% on 10.3 attempts per game.
- Result: He made 320 three-pointers, leading the entire NBA.
- Last Summer: The Midrange Game
- He became deadly from the "in-between" areas—not at the rim, not at the three-point line.
- His two-point shooting jumped from 50.7% to 55.4%.
- Result: A career-high 28.8 points per game on the best efficiency of his career.
Key Takeaway: Edwards has virtually no offensive weaknesses left. He can score from anywhere on the floor.
The New Problem: Consistency
Since Edwards has fixed his offensive holes, what is left to work on? Showing up every single night.
Coach Finch’s Wake-Up Call
After the season, Head Coach Chris Finch didn’t sugarcoat it. He called the team’s regular season "very frustrating" because of inconsistency:
- Focus: Some nights they were locked in; others they weren’t.
- Effort: The energy level bounced up and down.
- Execution: They knew the plays but didn’t always run them right.
Important Point: Finch wasn’t blaming Edwards directly. But in the NBA, the best player sets the tone. If Edwards plays hard and focused every night, the team follows.
Why Did Edwards Struggle with Consistency?
It wasn’t just "boredom." There was a real reason: He switched positions.
The Point Guard Experiment
- The Role: Edwards had to run the offense, handle the ball constantly, and create for others.
- The Cost: It drained his mental and physical battery.
- The Side Effect: His defense suffered badly.
- He got lost chasing players without the ball.
- His rebounding dropped to a four-year low.
The Solution: LaMelo Ball Arrives
The Timberwolves traded for LaMelo Ball, a true Point Guard. This changes everything for Edwards.
| Before (Edwards at PG) | After (LaMelo at PG) |
|---|---|
| Edwards runs the offense | LaMelo runs the offense |
| Edwards exhausted on D | Edwards saves energy for D |
| Defenses double-team Edwards | Ball’s shooting forces defenses to stay home |
| Edwards plays out of position | Edwards returns to Shooting Guard (his natural spot) |
In simple terms: Edwards gets to just play basketball—catch, shoot, attack, and defend—without the heavy lifting of running the whole show.
The "Flip the Switch" Myth
The Timberwolves looked like a totally different (better) team in the Playoffs than they did in December through March.
The Hard Truth
- Old NBA: Teams could "flip the switch" and turn it on for the playoffs.
- Modern NBA: You cannot win a championship that way anymore.
- Reality: Your habits in the 82-game regular season determine if you can win 4 playoff series.
Edwards Owns It
At his end-of-season press conference, Edwards agreed:
Reporter: "Do you build championship habits in the regular season?"
Edwards: "Yeah, I feel like you’re supposed to."
Reporter: "Did you guys do that?"
Edwards: "No, we didn’t build habits during the regular season, no."
And then he took the responsibility every leader must take:
"It’s a collective effort, but it definitely starts with me."
Summary
- Edwards is an offensive genius who has systematically erased every weakness (3PT → Midrange).
- The final frontier isn’t a skill—it’s consistency. Night-in, night-out focus and effort.
- Last year’s inconsistency was largely caused by Edwards playing Point Guard, which hurt his defense and energy.
- LaMelo Ball fixes the structure, letting Edwards go back to being a dominant two-way Shooting Guard.
- The goal: Build "championship habits" during the boring 82-game grind so the playoffs take care of themselves.
- The leader: Edwards has accepted the mantle: "It starts with me."
FAQ
1. Why did Anthony Edwards play Point Guard last year if it hurt his defense?
The team needed someone to create offense and run the plays. Edwards was the best option at the time, so he sacrificed his natural position (and some defensive energy) to help the team score.
2. How does LaMelo Ball help Anthony Edwards specifically?
LaMelo takes over the "homework" of running the offense (dribbling, passing, setting up plays). This lets Edwards save energy, play his natural position (Shooting Guard), focus on scoring, and lock in on defense. Plus, LaMelo is a great shooter, so defenders can’t double-team Edwards anymore.
3. What does "building championship habits" actually mean?
It means doing the little things right every single game in the regular season—running back on defense, boxing out for rebounds, setting hard screens, not taking plays off—so that by the time the playoffs start, those things are automatic. You don’t have to "try harder" in the playoffs; you just keep doing what you did all year.
4. Was Anthony Edwards the only reason the Timberwolves were inconsistent?
No. Coach Finch and Edwards both said it was a team-wide issue. However, the best player sets the ceiling. If the superstar locks in every night, it gives permission (and pressure) for everyone else to do the same.
5. Can the Timberwolves actually win the title next year?
They have the talent (Edwards, Ball, Gobert, Towns/Randle core). The only question mark is the mental side: Can they maintain focus for 82 games? If Edwards leads that charge, the gap between them and the top of the West closes very fast.