Anthony Edwards Admits He Was Gassed vs Mavs; Commits to Unlocking New Gear

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Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

There is now way to sugarcoat how ugly the Minnesota Timberwolves season ended on Thursday night. If something good is to come out of it though, Anthony Edwards finding another new gear could be chief among them.

Throughout the regular season, and into the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs, Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards looked the part of an emerging face for the league.

His shoe has been popping off, his personality is amazing, and his game transcends both. Facing Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving though, the 22-year-old got something of a reality check.

Anthony Edwards committed to a new offseason

At times throughout the series with the Dallas Mavericks it appeared as though Anthony Edwards was gassed. The Minnesota Timberwolves had just finished an epic series with the reigning champion Denver Nuggets and, even given Edwards’ youth and athleticism, he lacked energy for much of the Western Conference Finals vs Dallas.

After beating Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, Edwards talked about how Kyrie Irving would be his matchup during the Western Conference Finals. It took all of one game to realize that wasn’t going to work, and that Chris Finch would need to gameplan a different scheme for his league-leading defense. Now having gone through it, you can bet on Edwards figuring out a way to prepare for more.

Timberwolves Need Anthony Edwards in Constant Attack Mode

While the Mavericks controlled the entirety of the Western Conference Finals, even though Minnesota had fourth quarter leads in each of the first four contests. The reality is that their superstars are built different than the Timberwolves and it’s up to Anthony Edwards to change that.

Sure, he can get his, but he can also be streaky, and went missing at times throughout these playoffs. That can’t happen, going forward. Being tired will not be an acceptable excuse next year. Anthony Edwards can’t afford to be anything less than Luka Doncic was in this series. That is the next evolution for his game.

Being able to guarantee 30 points on a nightly basis, or take over a game for significant stretches, is something that Edwards must show is routine. He doesn’t need to be the prolific volume scorer others have been, but finding a way to mold more of the Michael Jordan comparisons through playmaking and follow through is a must.

Related: Mike Greenberg is Certain Anthony Edwards is the Next GOAT… and He’s Very Convincing

He will be the face of the franchise for as long as he is in Minnesota, but being above the opposition phasing him out has to happen. How Edwards attacks his offseason, and what that ultimately looks like a year from now, is something we will have to see to believe.

There’s no doubt that few competitors carry his drive and ability, so if this whole thing comes to fruition, then the Minnesota Timberwolves should expect to be in this position for many years to come. Being around Team USA this summer, with that talent and with those goals, could be the best thing yet for the Wolves star.

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