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Much has changed for the Minnesota Timberwolves since their run to the Western Conference Finals last season. Aside from Karl-Anthony Towns being moved to the New York Knicks in a blockbuster trade that brought Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minneapolis at the start of training camp, the demeanor and intensity of this promising-looking organization has completely shifted. Now 14-14 on the season following a 117-104 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, the Timberwolves and superstar Anthony Edwards are walking a dangerous road.
Aside from their offensive numbers declining compared to a season ago, one of the most noticeable changes with the Wolves is that Edwards isn't finding the same joy and positive energy on the court that he thrived off of when Minnesota recently went 56-26 during the 2023-24 season. While this has still been an All-Star season for Edwards, his struggles have contributed to the team's lack of success in recent games.
When asked about Edwards ahead of Monday's game, Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch kept it short and explained what the team's young star needs to do in order to snap out of his recent funk.
“That's a question better suited for him for sure,” Finch said in response to Edwards' joy being questioned, via Chris Hine of the Star Tribune. “I know he's frustrated … at different levels, but he also has to adjust a little bit now too.”
In addition to discussing Edwards, Finch also claimed that the team as a whole is facing some challenges due to the personality of the group changing.
“We still see this as pretty early in the process of integrating everybody. We're facing some challenges that we didn't anticipate, maybe, and we're trying to kind of reinvent ourselves on the fly,” Finch stated before the game. “So, you know, we're dealing with the weight of expectation of a great season from last year. But this is a totally different team, and in its personality.”
Anthony Edwards' frustrations hitting new heights?
In 28 games this season, Edwards is averaging 25.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 41.4 percent from three-point range. He is currently tied with Detroit Pistons sharpshooter Malik Beasley for the most made threes in the league.
It is clear that Edwards has been frustrated as of late, and he made that abundantly clear after a recent loss to the Warriors when the Timberwolves superstar made it a point to call out the officials.
“F***in' terrible,” Edwards said after the team's 113-103 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. “Excuse is the reason they call a foul, they don't call a foul, the s*** was just terrible. They don't want to talk back to me, they don't want to talk back to my coach. I said one thing to the ref and he gave me a tech. They penalize me and Jul' for being stronger than our opponent, every night. We don't get no calls.
“That's how I feel about the officials.”
Prior to Monday's showdown in Atlanta, Edwards received a $75,000 fine from the league office for his public criticism of the officiating and using “inappropriate and profane language” towards the referees in his postgame remarks.
The good news for Edwards and the Timberwolves is that the season is still young. As the calendar prepares to flip to 2025, opportunity will present itself to the young star and his team to finally get things trending in the right direction.
Time will tell if the Timberwolves can regain their confidence and once again become title-contending threats in the Western Conference.
