How many of you would have expected the Minnesota Timberwolves to make the playoffs a few weeks ago? One can’t blame you if you hadn’t. After all, there wasn’t much confidence in the franchise until they went on their recent 3-win streak to secure the 6th seed on the Western Conference table. Developing a new bout of offensive prowess, along with landing some luck as teams like the Golden State Warriors lost their positions, has now allowed Anthony Edwards’ squad to make the postseason for the 4th year in a row. Now, to ensure that most is made out of that opportunity, the 23-year-old is setting some expectations for his squad.
Another Edwards participated in a locker room Q&A session after the Timberwolves’ recent 116-105 win against the Utah Jazz. During the same, he highlighted that getting to the playoffs means a lot, since “three-four weeks ago, we all thought we was going to be in a Play-In for sure. We just knew it was going to happen”. Having landed on good fortune, Edwards wants to go into the playoffs by covering the team’s weaknesses. This led to him telling the media, “I like the way we’re playing. I mean, the defense can be a little better but, you know, it comes and goes. But I feel like playoffs is for us, cuz we play physical defense, we a little handsy. So, it should be good”.
Defense wasn’t the only collective team issue the Timberwolves’ lead scorer was focused on. As Anthony Edwards highlighted, “You got to be in really good shape to go deep in the postseason and to be able to affect the game on both sides of the ball. Like I said, you got to be in tiptop shape and um, like I said, just weeks, this whole week, that we got to prepare, and definitely going to try to get in a little better shape”.
Defense and Physical Build. For Anthony Edwards, these are the two major issues the team needs to improve upon. Criticism about the Timberwolves’ defense had been running rampant since the early part of the 2024-25 season. By December, the team had come under attack for possessing a poor point-of-attack containment, boasting only missing or slow rotations, center Rudy Gobert not playing up to high standards, lack of a true backup center, etc.
With time, however, that has improved. As reported by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the Wolves finished the season by having the No. 6 defensive rating. This is because they allowed 110.8 points per 100 possessions. The Timberwolves also walked away with the No. 8 offense in the league, as the team averaged 115.7 points per 100 possessions. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves’ first playoff opponent, the Los Angeles Lakers, ranks 17th in defense and 11th in offense. While the team certainly holds an advantage by being better on both fronts against the Lakers, nothing can be left to chance.
Anthony Edwards prioritizes being in shape. The player once stated, “Some guys put the work in, don’t believe it. Some guys believe and don’t put the work in. I believe it and I put the work in”. As Julius Randle once revealed, Edwards holds a special level of athleticism, as he “Cover ground, like, get downhill to be able to cut and just maneuver, and he’s not, like, a little guy. He’s a big dude”. Why? It is because he puts in the work. The Timberwolves had reportedly hit the gym straight after last year’s Game 7 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals, played against the Denver Nuggets. Therefore, Edwards expects his squad to have the same mentality this time around too.
Anthony Edwards believes that fixing a few issues can improve the Minnesota Timberwolves’ odds in the upcoming playoffs. However, from an overall perspective, the player is confident about his team’s chances. Or, even if he isn’t, he isn’t willing to undermine the confidence publicly.
