“I’m watching to see how assertive and aggressive he is. He understands who Oklahoma City is. He understands what’s gonna be required in order to knock them off, and it starts and ends with him,” said Stephen A. Smith about Anthony Edwards, in anticipation of Game 1 between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Throughout the postseason, the Timberwolves have lost only 2 games, with Anthony Edwards leading the charge in several of the wins, if not all. Therefore, anyone would have been waiting to see what the player could deliver when facing the squad with the best win record in the 2024-25 NBA season. The eventual 114-88 loss would have left Stephen A. Smith and others disappointed. However, to Anthony Edwards, it provided a lesson and made him look at his past to see how he could improve.
During the post-game presser, Anthony Edwards was reminded by a reporter about comments he had made after his other postseason losses. The reporter highlighted how, after the first loss against the Lakers, the player was “a little bit confused” and then concluded that he was being placed in a zone. After the loss against the Warriors, Edwards reportedly said that he understood what he needed to do next game, and apply, to make things better. When asked if he already has in mind what changes he wishes to implement for the next game, Edwards highlighted that he did.
“Yeah. I feel great. Yeah, just sitting the gaps, and double-team all day. So, should be all right,” said the 23-year-old. “Play without the ball a little more, get a little more cardio in, should be good”. One loss against the Los Angeles Lakers in the postseason was enough to inform Anthony Edwards about the strategy the team had planned, especially for him.
After Game 4 of the Lakers-Timberwolves series, Edwards made that strategy public knowledge by stating, “They basically putting three people on me. Like, once I drive, they try to trap me. If I get around a trap, it’s the third guy coming up as a low man. So if you just equal out, and the dude, it’s three people on the left side, on the opposite weak side of the ball, and if the middle dude just cuts, then they got one person to guard two people.”
The lesson he was able to learn about double-teams from that series might prove quite useful in this ongoing one.
Jan 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) looks on in the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
After all, Anthony Edwards was only able to score 18 points in this game by shooting 5-13 (38.5%) field goals and 3-8 (37.5%) 3-pointers. His 9 rebounds and 3 assists did not matter much in light of his 4 turnovers, as Edwards ended the game with a plus/minus rating of -23. Edwards may not face double-teams as much, but his ability to circumvent the Lakers’ defense might certainly prove effective against OKC, too.
The loss against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and co proved that the Timberwolves cannot underestimate their enemies. Therefore, not only Anthony Edwards, but also Julius Randle are preparing to go into Game 2 with a new mindset.
Julius Randle urges Timberwolves locker room to take responsibility and defend: “we can’t do that”
“As players, we got to take responsibility. Look ourselves in the mirror and we got to fix this. When we decide that we’re going to do that on a consistent basis, we win games,” said Julius Randle back in November 2024. The comment was made following defensive lapses and the inability to find consistency, causing the Minnesota Timberwolves to lose against teams like the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trail Blazers. Since then, however, the team has been on a good track, especially in the playoffs. Now, however, even though the Timberwolves only recorded their 3rd loss of the recent postseason, Julius Randle still wants accountability to exist. He was willing to set an example by going first.
During the post-game presser, the Timberwolves’ power forward was asked about the difference the team saw between the first half and the second half. Randle placed the blame on a lack of defense, stating that “I mean yeah that, you know, I said it before, our defense, in the second half, you know, giving them, what was that, 35 a quarter, you know, we can’t do that.”
The player also added that “You know, I’m always going to hold myself accountable. Five turnovers, it’s way too much. I can’t do that.” Admitting to his lapses, Randle sent an indirect message to the Timberwolves locker room by saying, “We can say it’s misses and makes, and it is a miss and make league, but regardless, we got to defend at a high level, and especially on the road, especially on the road. So, yeah”.
Jan 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) looks on during the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
While Julius Randle led the scoring effort with his 28 points, he also had 5 turnovers, the most in the game from the players of either team. This led to his plus/minus rating to be at -17. Fortunately, some slack could be cut for the first game, as the Timberwolves were still looking to get a grasp on facing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co.
With both Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle carrying different expectations for Game 2, the team should be in a better position.
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