Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards drops truth bomb on 'mature' game-winning change
10/25/2024 09:31 AM
Given the high expectations the Minnesota Timberwolves have for themselves following their run to the Western Conference Finals last season, it will be a tough pill to swallow for them to start the season 0-2, even though their first two games came against very good teams. Nonetheless, Anthony Edwards came up huge for the Timberwolves in the clutch and nailed two game-winning free throws in their 117-115 win over the Sacramento Kings that was sealed by Keegan Murray’s missed double-clutch three just as the buzzer expired.
Through the first two games of the season, it looks like Edwards has done a bit more settling for outside jumpshots. Against the Kings, 15 of his 24 shots came from beyond the arc, and then in the Timberwolves’ season-opening defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers, more than half of his shots (13 out of 25) came from deep as well.
Thus, it was within the realm of possibility that Edwards would settle for a long jumpshot during the Timberwolves’ final offensive possession of regulation on Thursday night. Instead, he made a concerted effort to attack the rim, and in so doing, he was rewarded with two deserved free throws after he drew an obvious foul on Domantas Sabonis.
“A year ago I would've probably tried to go left and take a stepback jumper. But you supposed to mature as you get older. I made a mature play, made Finch happy by getting to the rim,” Edwards said following the Timberwolves’ win, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
Indeed, given Edwards’ athletic gifts, he has it in him to become more aggressive in attacking the basket. This was the smart play anyway; with the game tied on the road, it was imperative for the Timberwolves to get the lead however they can and trust their defense to get a stop — which they did en route to getting their first win of the new campaign.
At the very least, it’s refreshing to see Edwards acknowledge some of the bad habits he’s been guilty of in the past. The first step to improvement is acknowledgement, and this should only bode well for the Timberwolves moving forward.
Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle lead Timberwolves to victory
Starting off the season on the road against two good teams is never easy. This is especially the case for a team like the Timberwolves that made a blockbuster trade that changed the fabric of their roster not even one month ago. Thus, their Thursday night win over the Kings cannot be taken lightly, especially with Julius Randle seemingly settling into a nice role for his new team.
Randle was the one who kept the Timberwolves within striking distance for most of the game, as he caught fire from beyond the arc (he finished with 5-6 from three). He was Minnesota’s offensive rock on the night, but in the end, it was Anthony Edwards who took them over the finish line. Edwards scored 13 of his 32 points in the final frame, showing immense growth in his game management skills in the clutch.
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