Anthony Edwards didn’t want to jinx it, but he smiled and noted he’s “liking the way” the Timberwolves’ defense looks at the moment.
Minnesota has won three straight following its dismantling of the Thunder on Thursday, with defense leading the charge in all three victories.
That side of the ball has been Minnesota’s Hallmark for the last couple seasons – both of which resulted in Western Conference Finals runs – but the defensive performances this season have been up and down.
Edwards knows the antidote to the inconsistency.
“I think it just starts with me on the defensive end,” he said. “If I’m guarding at a high level, I think everybody’s gonna do it. So I just gotta, you know, make my mind up and choose to do it.”
While this season may mark Edwards’ worst on the defensive end since his rookie campaign, Thursday was another reminder of how high his ceiling is on that end of the floor.
The superstar said there 100% are nights where he decides to take over the game defensively, adding that’s something he wants to do more frequently, while noting “it’s always tough.” Because it does require high levels of energy, which aren’t easy to muster when you’re also your team’s primary offensive producer. But perhaps that end is where energy can be saved.
All eight rotation players scored seven-plus points Thursday. The Wolves have enough collective firepower to fuel the ship without Edwards having to go full inferno mode.
“I think I just gotta lean on my teammates a little bit more on offense and like just trust in them a little bit more,” he said. “And then just give more on the defensive end.”
Edwards tallied two steals and a block Thursday, while Thunder players he was guarding went 1 for 7 from the field.
“As long as he’s doing that,” Jaden McDaniels said, “we’re going to be good defensively.”
Which is Minnesota’s true motor. The Wolves parlayed 15 Thunder turnovers into 30 points the other way. Stops spark transition. Transition lends itself to equal opportunity offense, organically creating scoring chances for the likes of McDaniels, Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo.
“It just makes the flow easier. It don’t matter who’s going in transition,” McDaniels said. “We’ll just make the right play. I might have it in transition and I might pass back to Naz and it might be a pass-pass for 3 or just take it yourself. Just being confident and just making the right play.”
Suddenly, everyone around Edwards is catching a rhythm and competing with confidence. When that’s the case, the Wolves are a tough pack with which to run. Even down three rotational pieces Thursday, Oklahoma City is still the NBA’s best defensive team. Yet Minnesota shot 51% from the floor and 47% from distance.
“I think we played a very connected game,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “I thought we found the right guy open offensively a lot. I thought we started the game with a lot of really good structure, execute our sets and concepts well. And then when we went to iso for the most part, I thought we were good and finding a kick out and just finding Rudy and those types of things.”
Everybody ate. No heavy lifting was required from any individual, which freed up reserves to expend on the other end and, in turn, elevated Minnesota to the peak of its powers.
Thunder players outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had trouble merely dribbling the ball, let alone serving as any type of legitimate scoring threat on a night.
“That’s our defense at its best form,” Finch said. “Really good physicality on the ball, set the tone there. Did a good job at one point with our coverages and execution of those things. It’s certainly like what we’re capable of. And we got to bring that out more, not just wait for the best team in the league to come to town, so that’s a challenge.”
One, specifically, for the team’s best player to take on. For the Timberwolves to be a true championship contender, Edwards does indeed have to dominate every night – it’s just not on the end of the floor everyone suspects.
“We got to be ready to play like we playing the Thunder every night … I think I take a lot of the teams that we play that’s like, not that good, for granted. So it starts with me, for sure,” Edwards said. “I just got to (defend like) that on a night in, night out basis. Like I always say, it’s tough, because I know it’s a lot. But I got to be willing to do it every night.”
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