Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards expresses frustrations amid double-teams this season

01/03/2025 07:32 AM

Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards was limited to 15 points on 5-for-16 attempts in a 118-115 loss to the champion Boston Celtics. After the loss, Edwards' was called out by TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal, who challenged him to be better as the two-time All-Star expressed his frustration with opposing defenses double-teaming him this season.

Edwards admits the adjustments have knocked him off his game, per Timberwolves reporter Dane Moore.

"That was a good brand of basketball, but it's not how I want to play, of course," Edwards said. "I'm only 23. I don't wanna just be passing the ball all night… But the way they're guarding me, I think I have to."

How hard is it to stay engaged when they do that?

"Super hard, super hard, super hard, super hard," Edwards repeated. "Because I'm wired to score the ball."

As one reporter suggested, the double coverage is an effort to take Edwards out of the game.

"That might be part of it," Edwards replied. "But I know they're just doing it. I don't know if they're doing it like, let's mentally take him out because it doesn't mentally take me out of the game, but it does frustrate me a little bit, them doubling. Like, what is going on? So, yeah. I be trying to figure it out, man."

Without disrupting the flow of the Timberwolves' offense, Edwards struggled to find his offensive rhythm.

"I don't want to make it seem like I'm chasing the ball every time," Edwards added. "But when I get doubled and give it up, and then go to the corner, they be like, I'm just like, aight boom; they double team more. So, I don't know what to do honestly. But it's not fun, of course, because I don't want to look like I'm not trying or not as good as I am because I am. But I can't show it because I'm getting double-teamed.

"And then Tatum and the next team we're going to play, Cade, you know. Like it's definitely frustrating, you know, to see these guys cooking us, and I can't cook them because of whatever the adjustments are."

Pretty much the entirety of Anthony Edwards's postgame media was him talking about his frustration with the way teams are putting two on him, taking away his opportunities to be a scorer and forcing him to get off the ball.

"It's not how I want to play, of course. I'm only 23, I… pic.twitter.com/7bJdFS6zeU

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) January 3, 2025

Shaquille O'Neal bluntly calls out Anthony Edwards' effort vs Celtics

Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards watched his mouth to avoid a fine during his media availability. However, amid the Timberwolves' three-point loss (118-115), Hall of Fame center and TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal called Edwards' effort out at halftime, per NBA on TNT's X, formerly Twitter.

"A player of his caliber should never have nine points in a half. That just tells me that he's settling," O'Neal said. "Listen, you can shoot, but you're not a shooter. You're too good to be settling. When you're a great player, you can not settle. You always have to be in attack mode."

"A player of his caliber should never have 9 points in a half… You can not settle."

Shaq on Anthony Edwards

(via @NBAonTNT)pic.twitter.com/2kmNlP8Cz5

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 3, 2025

The Timberwolves will look to bounce back against the Pistons on Saturday.

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