Anthony Edwards Issues League-Wide Warning With Chilling Message After Timberwolves Light Up Heat

Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves left South Beach on Saturday with a 125-115 win over the Miami Heat. Minnesota improved to 2-1 during its four-game road trip and ended the home team’s four-game winning streak. Edwards delivered a game-high 33 points, five assists, three rebounds and one steal to lead his team to the hard-earned win.

After the game, Edwards commented (via Legion of Hoops):

“I feel like we can beat everybody. If we play to a certain level, yeah, I feel like we can beat everyone.”

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When they execute well and play with a sense of urgency, Anthony Edwards and Co. have been elite. They showed that when they beat the OKC Thunder 112-107 on Dec. 19. In that marquee showdown, Edwards had a team-high 26 points to go with 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals. Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels and Donte DiVincenzo also stepped up.

However, the Timberwolves have a tendency to play with a lack of effort, as they did roughly a week ago in Brooklyn when they lost 123-107. The T-Wolves shot 42% from deep, but still could not walk away with a win. They lost the points in the paint battle (66-46), committed more turnovers (16-11) and gave up 10 offensive rebounds that led to 18 Nets points.

The win against the Heat improved Minnesota’s record to 22-13 for the No. 6 spot in the fiercely contested Western Conference. Anthony Edwards and his teammates need to sustain their performance in Miami to climb up the standings.

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Anthony Edwards and Timberwolves are middling points in the paint team

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ starting lineup is one of the biggest in the NBA. They have 7-foot-11 Rudy Gobert in the middle, while forwards Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels are both 6-foot-9. The 6-foot-5 Anthony Edwards and the 6-foot-4 Donte DiVincenzo occupy the perimeter.

Despite their height and size advantage, they average 50.2 points per game in the paint, No. 14 in the NBA. The Timberwolves also allow opponents to score 50.3 ppg in the paint, also 14th in the league.

When they struggle to hit from deep, as they sometimes do, they fall from the ranks of the elite. Instead of maximizing their advantage in the shaded area, they continue to hoist up often contested long-range shots.

If Anthony Edwards’ Timberwolves don’t have their shooting touch but attack the paint with purpose, they can still beat anybody.

Edited by Michael Macasero