Anthony Edwards suddenly looks far more like Clark Kent than Superman — very average.

The 22-year-old superstar guard’s aura was at an all-time high in the middle of the Western Conference semifinals, in which the Wolves ousted the defending champion Nuggets.

But after a pair of duds against Dallas to open the Western Conference Finals — both losses on Minnesota’s home floor — praise is quickly, and justifiably, devolving into criticism.

The man who captured the hearts of basketball fans across America with his electric style of play has seen his force neutralized by fatigue and indecisiveness.

Dallas continues to combine heavy gap help and rim protection with a variety of defensive looks and, frankly, it seems to have Edwards second-guessing himself.

The result through two games is Edwards shooting 33% from the floor and Minnesota’s offense largely bogging down at the most inopportune moments.

“They’re just showing me crowds, man, sitting in the gaps,” Edwards said. “But I’m turning down a lot of shots, like my mid-ranges and stuff. I’m turning a lot of those down.”

Edwards has had plays where he starts to attack the defense on the bounce, only to pull it back out. In the final 20 seconds Friday, he got to the middle of the floor, pulled up, opted not to try to shoot a free-throw line jumper over Dallas big Dereck Lively II and instead threw the ball out of bounds for a turnover that opened the door for Luka Doncic to play the role of assassin on the other end of the floor.

“I wanted to get downhill, and then the gap man was in the gap,” Edwards said. “I tried to make a play and then I think I just passed it too late. So that’s how that was.”

Edwards has been praised for his willingness to get off the ball over the past two-plus months when opponents loaded up to stop him. But the key to that was proper decisions were being made in a split second. Now, when Edwards does make a pass, it’s only coming after over dribbling or excessive ball holding.

That makes life easier on a defense when it doesn’t have to be scrambling around the floor in a reactionary manner.

“I think with Anthony, he’s gotta pick up his decision-making,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “I think (Dallas guard Kyrie Irving) is actually a good example — he’s playing quick off the catch, he’s trying to beat our defensive pressure with everything on the catch, going quickly.”

The coach added that Edwards needs to attack more in transition. He said Edwards started Game 2 by playing with burst and getting downhill. As a result, he was living at the free-throw line.

“Then kinda just phased (that) out as the game went along. Went in there a few times, thought he coulda done it more. And we need him to do it more,” Finch said. “Yeah, he has to do some more early, gotta play off the catch a little bit more. I thought he could be a little more shot-ready. I thought he turned down some open looks, too.”

That all reeks of someone who’s less sure of himself than he usually is. Never was that more evident on that final, fateful turnover. After the game, Finch lamented not calling timeout to get Mike Conley — who’d subbed out for defensive purposes on the possession prior — back into the game to secure a good shot for the Wolves at that pivotal point.

At the moment, possessions guided by Conley are proving far more fruitful for Minnesota than anything Edwards can muster.

“I’m trying to get the ball and be in controlled situations, especially late. Get the guys the ball when they are in good spots to be aggressive. Naz, KAT, Ant, Rudy, Jaden, everybody trying to get guys where they can be super effective,” Conley said. “Especially for Ant, just trying to relieve him from a lot of the duties. He has to do so much for us, he has to guard, he has to play make, he has to score.

“It’s my job to alleviate that pressure a little bit, and I’m probably going to have to be more involved in that, be aggressive, be aggressive offensively. It takes little pressure off of him and try to play make for him, as well.”

Because Edwards’ burden is heavy; He’s played heavy minutes throughout Minnesota’s postseason run, often carrying the offensive scoring load while guarding one of the opponent’s best players. Chasing Irving around is a full-time job. Doing so while also trying to guide an offense is exhausting.

Edwards’ usual on-court bravado has been lacking through two games of this series, while it’s oozing out of Doncic. He might not have the energy to produce it.

Edwards denied it, but ESPN reported the guard was wearing an oxygen mask near the bench at one point during Friday’s Game 2. But, the reality is, at this point in the season, there is no time to be tired. Doncic is battling lower-body injuries, hobbling around the court and still producing at an MVP-type level.

Edwards’ burden will not lessen. His resolve — physically and mentally — must strengthen. He will continue to guard one of the opponent’s best players. He will continue to be tasked with igniting the offense, and he needs to do both at a higher level. If not, this series may not last much longer.

“It’s the Western Conference Finals, man. You can’t look to hide people or try to take breaks,” Finch said. “I don’t see Kyrie shying away from a matchup out there. It’s what you’ve got to do if you want to win.”

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“For people who are receiving denials, but are accessing legal services, they’re going to be able to have some kind of advocacy,” said Deborah Berkman, supervising attorney at New York Legal Assistance Group. “Without legal services, it seems almost impossible.” 

The city began rolling out stricter rules for migrant shelter reapplications this week, which make it tougher for adults without children to earn more time.

The changes are part of a legal settlement reached in March that temporarily redefined New York’s decades-old right-to-shelter policy, which generally requires the city to provide a bed to anyone who needs and requests it. Adult migrants without children whose time of stay has expired after an initial 30 or 60 days now need to prove they meet “extenuating circumstances” to qualify for an extension.

Since the Spring of 2022, nearly 200,000 migrants and asylum seekers have arrived in New York City and about 65,000 are currently in the shelter system. Last July, the city began issuing controversial time limits to adults without children, extending the policy to families with kids in January, though with the option to reapply at the end of each deadline. Families with children are exempt from the new, stricter criteria.

“We have very limited tools for how we continue to manage,” Mayor Eric Adams’ Chief of Staff, Camille Joseph Varlack, told reporters during a press briefing Tuesday. “Every single week we still get hundreds, if not thousands of people coming into the system. We need to make sure that we have the space to take care of the new guests that are coming into the city as well.”

Officials said last week that they’d issued an initial 6,500 30- or 60-day shelter eviction notices under the new rules, 200 of which had deadlines that hit Wednesday. Those seeking more time were directed to the city’s Reticketing Center, based at the former St. Brigid’s School in the East Village, where they could make their case for an extension. 

City Hall didn’t provide numbers on how many reapplicants received denials under the new terms, saying Thursday they were still processing the data. In the meantime, advocates and legal providers are keeping a watchful eye, saying they want to make sure the city is giving each person’s case careful consideration. 

“We’re kind of working in the dark…about how to support young people in this process, because there’s been so little information from City Hall about how people are actually being assessed for extenuating circumstances,” said Jamie Powlovich, the director of the Coalition for Homeless Youth.

Some of the “extenuating circumstances” can generally earn someone an automatic extension: if they’ve signed a lease that starts soon; have an immigration proceeding, serious medical procedure or plans to leave the city within a month; are recovering from a medical procedure that impacts their ability to leave shelter, or are 18 to 20 years old and enrolled full time in high school. But others are less clear cut. 

Applicants can also show they’ve made “significant efforts” to leave shelter, such as if they’ve applied for Temporary Protected Status, are attending college or English classes, are looking for a job or already have one, among other scenarios. 

The city has evaluated those cases so far using a 20-point system, in which someone can earn points for each effort they prove. But the system is still being negotiated and could change, according to Josh Goldfein, an attorney at the Legal Aid Society.

He and other advocates are concerned because neither they nor migrants know exactly how those efforts will be weighed, and complained about the lack of clarity. 

They have also heard from migrants that the city’s process of determining whether to renew has moved quickly, raising questions about how much time applicants are being given to make their case.

“If the process goes quickly, and people are extended, then that’s fine. But if it goes quickly, and people are denied, and they did have relevant information to share, but the city didn’t take the time to gather it, then that’s a major concern,” Goldfein said.

When the city denies a request, it does so in a letter that should be issued in the preferred language of the immigrant, stating the reason for the denial. At least one letter shared with City Limits was written mostly in Spanish, but included one line in English.

“It’s a legal problem, and it’s like a practical problem,” said Deborah Berkman, supervising attorney of the Shelter Advocacy Initiative at New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG). 

To date, NYLAG has successfully intervened—with the advocacy of the Legal Aid Society—to help two migrants get extensions after initial denials. Legal Aid assisted another three in getting more time. 

But the appeal process, in which migrants can request an independent review of their decision, could pose a hurdle to some, advocates noted. The city advises those who can’t file their appeal via email to “please notify the staff person who gave you this notice, and they will assist you,” according to a denial letter shared with City Limits.  

“A lot of my clients who are new immigrants are not able to read,” Berkman explained. “If they hadn’t been able to be in touch with a legal services provider, it’s very unlikely that they would have had a place to sleep tonight.”

Both the Legal Aid Society and NYLAG said they don’t know how many people have received denials, and they’re only learning about these cases because migrants are contacting them.

“For people who are receiving denials, but are accessing legal services, they’re going to be able to have some kind of advocacy,” Berkman said. “Without legal services, it seems almost impossible, which I think makes it harder for us to know the number of people because unless they’ve come to us, we don’t know that they’re there. We don’t know that they’re being denied and then left outside.”

The thousands of migrants first impacted by the changes have been given a letter describing the new system, telling them to make a plan to move out of shelter and providing them with a resource guide, officials said last week. 

“Everyone after May 27 who’s come into our system will be subjected to this process,” Joseph Varlack told reporters on May 17.

Outside the Reticketing Center Wednesday morning, City Limits spoke to roughly a dozen migrants, none of whom said they had heard yet of the new settlement rules, or the evidence they must collect to extend their stays going forward. 

Marlon Ronquillo, 43, said he was asked a few questions when reapplying, such as if he had a family member in the country, if he could stay with someone else, or if he wanted to leave the city. After answering no to those queries and waiting a couple of hours, he received shelter for an additional 30 days.

“They imply that the city is no longer going to help you, as if they will not give you any more shelter,” Ronquillo said in Spanish. “As if this is the last time.”

To reach the reporter behind this story, contact Daniel@citylimits.org. To reach the editor, contact Jeanmarie@citylimits.org

Want to republish this story? Find City Limits’ reprint policy here.

Amy Lindgren

Do you remember the last time you were asked to tell someone about yourself? This being one of the top 5 awkward questions of all time (don’t ask about the others), there’s a good chance it occurred in a situation that was already uncomfortable.

Such as … meeting your significant other’s parents, or joining a new group therapy session, or facing a panel of job interviewers.

Since this is a question that you’re certain to be asked throughout your life, the smart move is to find a way to manage it. You’re on your own for the other situations, but the following ideas will help you craft a strong answer for your next interview.

Welcome the question: Even though most people dread this question, it’s actually a blessing. That’s because “Tell us about yourself” is one of the candidate’s few chances to control the message in an interview. And if it occurs at the beginning of the meeting (as it usually does), it also provides an excellent opportunity to lay the foundation for the conversation. Learning to welcome this question rather than dread it, and you’re halfway home.

Consider why it’s being asked: There are a few reasons interviewers might use this question. One is that your answer will help them synthesize the information they already have from your application materials. Another reason is to see what you think is most important for them to know. If you focus on how your answer can help the interviewer, you’ll have the right idea.

Decide what information to convey: You can build your answer around a number of different themes. For example, you could give a professional chronology, describing your career path to date. Or you could enumerate the skills and knowledge that will help you do this job. One of my favorite answers relies on key messages, with each one highlighting a different reason you’d be a good person to hire. Here’s how that could look for a communications professional interviewing at a nonprofit:

“Thank you for asking. There are three things I especially wanted to tell you about myself, in relation to this position. The first is that I have been in communications for my whole career and I’ve developed skills that include everything from cold calling reporters all the way to managing social media campaigns. Since yours is a one-person communications department, this means I’ll have the range you need for the job.

“The second thing I wanted you to know is that I’m passionate about nonprofits in general and about your agency’s mission in particular. Low-income housing is an issue I want to contribute my skills to improving. I especially like your approach for community-focused planning. It would be exciting to be part of that effort.

“And the third thing I wanted to tell you about myself is that I’m a fast and accurate writer, so I’m able to quickly produce the newsletters and donor profiles you need to raise funds. I’m really excited about this opportunity and I’m looking forward to our conversation today.”

Think in threes: Three is a number that is easy for both you and the interviewer to remember. The sample above uses an obvious three-point structure, but you can also be more subtle. For a theme focused on your professional chronology, for example, you might begin with your current work as your first point, then transition into explaining different stages of your career, then conclude with your future goals and how this job fits in. That’s called a present-past-future answer structure.

Avoid these mistakes: Although this feels like a difficult answer to get right, there are really only a handful of mistakes you need to avoid.

• 1. Going on too long. Shoot for two or three minutes and practice until you know what that amount of time feels like.

• 2. Being overly detailed. If you write down your answer before practicing it, you can more easily edit out the extraneous information.

• 3. Giving information that is too personal. Family details, personal hobbies, illnesses you’ve overcome … these will just distract the interviewer from more relevant information. This is another place where writing your answer and then practicing it will help.

Speaking of practice — that’s an excellent way to get more comfortable with your answer without actually memorizing it. And the more comfortable you are, the more natural you’ll sound — and the better your overall connection to the interviewer will be. That’s when you’ll know you’re truly telling them about yourself.

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Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.