Losing to Mavericks shows Anthony Edwards has to do a lot more than score for Wolves – Twin Cities

It was remarkable that Anthony Edwards took on such a responsibility after Minnesota’s 120-114 home loss to Dallas on Tuesday in a highly anticipated Western Conference Finals rematch under the bright lights of a national television show.

Edwards was electric early, scoring 24 points in the first quarter. He finished the match with 37 points. A quick look at the score shows that the 23-year-old guard was not responsible for the defeat.

However, the team-centered reasons for the defeats were obvious. Minnesota committed 20 turnovers, giving the Mavericks 25 points. Dallas also crashed the offensive glass en route to 23 second-chance points.

These are glaring issues that can beat a team every night.

And Edwards seemed to understand that he was at their center.

The guard stated that he felt Minnesota’s defense was actually good in the loss, but the second-chance points hurt Minnesota.

“This made me very sad,” Edwards said. “I need to get better.”

Indeed, a quick look at the tape showed Mavericks forward PJ Washington having multiple possessions where he grabbed offensive rebounds, which led to second-chance points; Edwards, who was tasked with boxing out Washington, stood his ground and just stared at the basket.

Edwards suggested that he, too, “probably played a role” in the struggles in pass defense. He was not alone in this area, but he certainly made his share of blunders.

“Talking to the referees, getting down and stuff,” Edwards said. “Probably immature stuff. That’s probably why we can’t go back to transition. I’m not protecting the rim.”

Even on plays where he returned to defense, Edwards failed to spot the most immediate threat to the basket as Gobert, who was a big part of Minnesota’s offensive rebounding, ran the length of the floor trying to catch his man. began to gain possession with a multi-step lead.

“We’ve got to help him,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “Because when we come back and put him in the right position, we do a pretty good job.”

Gobert said miscommunication is a problem in that department. Edwards suggested the same.

“There were a couple of possessions early in the game where me and Mike (Conley) got back early and we think I told Rudy to get back, but it’s my responsibility to protect the rim because Rudy can take the opposite corner,” Edwards said. . “Immature game plan mistakes.”

Part of the lack of execution seems to stem from a lack of urgency at times. The same goes for the defensive glass. Edwards, who has been the Timberwolves’ barometer in every way for several years now, has been propelling Minnesota into the championship ranks when he puts all his focus and strength into what’s important.

But the right tone isn’t set when the team’s best player starts overlooking the little things. Those 37 points (or the 30 he’s averaged per game this season) aren’t always as necessary as good boxing or a denial of a backdoor cutter.

“What I mean is, these flaws need to go away,” Finch said. “He needs to rest more on offense rather than rest on defense. Of course there are enough other guys who can do something with the ball.”

Gobert said he endured a film session that revealed many of the less-than-stellar habits Minnesota displayed against Dallas. Traditionally, when Finch and the coaching staff point out a weakness, it is quickly corrected.

However, being so aware of his shortcomings immediately after the defeat was extra encouraging for Edwards’ development. This is a sign of growth and opens the door for such glitches to be fixed in real time, if not completely eliminated.

“I feel like we’re going to get better at that as the season progresses,” Edwards said of the misses.

It all starts with him, and he seems to know it.

First Publication Date: October 30, 2024 17:49 CDT