Anthony Edwards Cryptic After Timberwolves’ Elimination

By    |  
Updated:
Follow Us
Anthony Edwards - NBA Playoffs - San Antonio Spurs at Minnesota Timberwolves
Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Game 6 of the 2026 Western Conference semifinals between the Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs was probably the most embarrassing postseason performance in Wolves history.

It finished 139-109, but from opening tip, there was absolutely no compete from the home team, despite their backs being up against a wall of elimination.

Minnesota should have come out last night fighting like rabid Wolves whose lives were on the line. Because, from a basketball sense, they literally were. But instead of desperation, we got hopelessness to the point of apathy.

After the Spurs delivered a couple first quarter punches, Anthony Edwards and his Timberwolves teammates buckled into the fetal position, inserted their thumb into their mouths, and then spent the next 3.5 quarters quietly whimpering for the refs to stop the fight.

Finally, with about 8 minutes remaining in what had become a 30-point bloodbath, head coach Chris Finch threw in the towel and pulled his starters, including Anthony Edwards, who scored possibly the most inefficient 24 points of his career, shooting 9-of-26 (34.6%) from the field and 2-of-7 from 3PT.

Too much sportsmanship from Anthony Edwards?

Ant was so ready for vacation by the time he was pulled from Game 6 that the 24-year-old superstar walked across the court during the timeout, into San Antonio’s huddle, and proceeded to dap up and congratulate Spurs players and coaches one-by-one on their victory.

It was a rather stunning and unprecedented move by a superstar whose team is about to be eliminated from postseason contention. So much so, that much of the NBA world has spent the hours since debating over how much sportsmanship is too much.

Too bad he and his teammates had no interest in providing positive memories for Wolves fans during the game. That would have been ideal. Unfortunately, sometimes you take what you can get.

And the most interesting moments from Friday night came after the play on the court was over, specifically during his postgame press conference, on the verge of what promises to be an eventful offseason for president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly.

Wolves need more talent next season… or maybe not?

There’s no doubt, after watching this second round series against the San Antonio Spurs, that around Ant, the MN Timberwolves roster needs some rather drastic changes. Is Rudy still the answer down low?

We know, by this point, that Julius Randle is not a legitimate No. 2, meaning Edwards hasn’t had the requisite amount of offensive talent around him since Karl-Anthony Towns was traded.

Offensively, the Wolves NEED another ball-handler who can help distribute and take initiating responsibilities off Ant, when necessary. That brings us to Ayo. Will he stay? The roster questions are seemingly endless.

Report: MN Timberwolves Trying to Lock In Tim Connelly

However, when asked if he feels like the Minnesota Timberwolves have enough talent on the roster, as currently constructed to compete with top teams in the West, like the Spurs and Thunder, Anthony Edwards — after chuckling and asking the reporter to repeat his question, said “Yeah, I feel like we good.”

Of course, it’s easy to understand this answer from Anthony Edwards, no matter how he feels on the inside. Had he answered it differently, I’d be writing a different article this morning. Ant has never been a guy who will throw teammates under the bus.

However, there were other notable moments during last night’s presser that make it difficult to trust his “affirmation” of the current roster construction as his actual truth.

Tim Connelly has options and the entire basketball world expects one of the league’s boldest head executives to heavily (desperately?) pursue those options over the next few months… but is that what his superstar wants?

Ant admits Timberwolves aren’t about championship habits

Earlier in the same presser, Ant bluntly said that the Minnesota Timberwolves’ biggest problem is the players’ inability (or unwillingness) to focus, digest, implement and stick with whatever gameplan is handed down by coaches that night.

Then, he turned the conversation to championship habits, and how they are built in the regular season. When asked the obvious follow-up, on whether or not the Wolves did that during the regular season this year, Edwards was honest — “No, we didn’t build the habits during the regular season, no.”

Reporter: “What do you guys have to do, you as leader, whatever in the regular season to make it where you guys can be like that on the defensive end against some of this top competition?”

Edwards: We just got to listen to the coaches. Yeah, we got a hard time of like processing stuff and going out there and doing it. Um, we try to do stuff on our own. I think that’s our problem.

Reporter: “Do you feel like the regular season’s the time to start building that stuff?”

Edwards: “Yeah, I feel like you’re supposed to build championship habits or playoff habits in the regular season. Yeah, great question. I think so, yeah.”

Reporter: “Just a follow up to that. Did do you not feel like you’d have do I feel like what that you have built the habits during the regular season?”

Edwards: “No, we didn’t build the habits during the regular regular season, no.”

The MN Timberwolves’ young superstar — who is set to make $52 million next season — was then asked who in the organization is responsible for changing the team’s habits. He answered by saying it’s a collective effort, but that it starts with him.

We all know Anthony Edwards works hard, and he’s not even 25 years old yet. But he is right, the Wolves go as he goes. Even if Tim Connelly cooks hard this offseason, the buck on Minnesota’s 2026-27 season will stop at Ant.

He needs to take his game-to-game focus to another level next season, or the championship foundation he’s talking about, build on a team’s habits during the regular season — will fail yet again, and we’ll be in this exact same spot.

Anthony Edwards gets cryptic to close final press conference

There’s one other moment, at the VERY end of Anthony Edwards’ 8-minute press conference Friday night, that I cannot get out of my head. In fact, as I noted in my tweet earlier, this closing question/answer will probably live in my head for this entire offseason.

The final question tossed Ant’s way wasn’t that much different than those already discussed in this article. However, his answer felt much different… even though, technically, it wasn’t an answer at all.

Reporter: “…[what’s] the biggest thing that’s maybe causing you guys to come up short in these series? Like the one thing you are seeing again and again that’s making it tough?”

Edwards: “Uuhhmmm — good question — uuuhhh — no comment. [chuckles]”

Obviously, Anthony Edwards held a lot of his real thoughts, regarding this ugly Western Semifinal series loss, back for obvious “good teammate” reasons. But even Ant knows something needs to change. And maybe that’s why he left last night on such a cryptic note.

Related Read: Giannis Wants to Play for Timberwolves?

Hopefully, when Edwards talks to Tim Connelly in the next few days for his yearly exit interview, “no comment” becomes a game of spill the beans.

Yes, Ant can certainly be better. But I don’t think he could have been better enough to beat the Spurs, who may not be good enough to beat the OKC Thunder. And now that the basketball stuff is over, it’s the PoBO’s turn to do some cooking.

Mentioned in this article:

More About:

0What do you think?Post a comment.

Add MinnesotaSportsFan as a preferred source on Google.Add MinnesotaSportsFan as a preferred source on Google.