Minnesota changed the roster around its star, and the next step has to come from Edwards himself.
Anthony Edwards has already shown that he can carry the Timberwolves through difficult games, score against almost any matchup, and play like one of the best guards in the league.
What Minnesota needs now is different, because the question is no longer whether Edwards can become a star, but whether he can lead a changed roster through the hardest part of the playoffs.
The Expectations
Kendrick Perkins put the pressure on Edwards during an ESPN discussion, and although his wording was sharp, it reflected how much the standard has changed for a player who is still only 24.
Perkins said, “Anthony Edwards is on the clock.”
Edwards averaged 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists last season while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from three, and those numbers have already placed him among the league's top scorers
. Minnesota finished 49-33, beat Denver in the playoffs, and then lost to San Antonio in six games, so the questions about its championship chances now center on whether Edwards can control a series when defenses send extra help.
That does not mean he has failed, and it does not mean his chance is running out, but players at his level are eventually measured by how well they respond when the first option is taken away.
Edwards can still improve as a passer, because making the simple pass earlier should keep the offense moving instead of leaving him against two defenders.
A Different Backcourt
The Timberwolves acquired LaMelo Ball to add another creator, and after he averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.8 rebounds last season, his passing should give Edwards more chances to attack a defense that is already moving.
Minnesota also sent Naz Reid to Charlotte and Julius Randle to Brooklyn, so it gained playmaking while losing size, familiar scoring, and two players who had already been through playoff games with Edwards.
Minnesota's offseason changed the way its offense can play, but the partnership will require both guards to adjust because each is used to making the first decision.
Edwards cannot treat Ball as only a setup man, and Ball cannot turn every possession into a fast break, so their best version should allow either player to begin the action while the other attacks an unsettled defense.
The roster still has concerns in the frontcourt, and Edwards cannot solve all of those issues by himself.
He can help cover them by defending with more consistency, controlling the pace when games become messy, and keeping Rudy Gobert and the rest of the group involved instead of feeling that every important possession has to end with his shot.
Perkins is right that the pressure has grown, but this season is not about Edwards becoming a completely different player, because Minnesota already knows how talented he is.
