The Minnesota Timberwolves earned their second victory in a row on Wednesday night over the shorthanded Orlando Magic, defeating them 126-108 on the road behind Anthony Edwards' strongest performance of the season. Edwards tallied 35 points on 12-20 shooting from the field (7-13 on triples), to go along with eight rebounds and six assists to lead the way.
While Edwards' season-high outburst in scoring is sure to grab headlines, it's his improved work on the defensive end, particularly on the perimeter, that should be of immense cause of excitement for the Timberwolves coaching staff. When asked after the game about the great effort he displayed when defending off-the-ball, Ant had a hilarious answer for why he seemed to be more focused on that aspect of the game against the Magic.
“I'm tired of being on film as far as off the ball. On the ball, I'm always pretty good. Off the ball, I'm always on film… Tonight, I was just like, man, I ain't trying to be on film tomorrow,” Edwards said, per Dane Moore.
No one wants to be called out in front of their peers, so Anthony Edwards made it a point to clean up on that part of his game. It's an encouraging sign for the Timberwolves for their third-year franchise cornerstone to react this way to being held accountable, which should bode well for Edwards' long-term development as one of the league's preeminent stars.
Another encouraging sign for the Timberwolves is their locker room culture of accountability. Clearly, head coach Chris Finch and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, among others, are giving Edwards pointers on how to improve and remain locked in while guarding away from the ball, and the 21-year old guard is reacting accordingly.
Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves will look to string together a few wins as they face the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. And despite the Timberwolves' early season ups and downs, Ant remains confident in their ability to put it all together.
“I think we gonna win against Philly. I think we're gonna go on a little roll here. I mean, I know it's two games, but the confidence is there. I think we're ready to take the next step,” Edwards added.
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