To begin the season, Anthony Edwards struggled to shoot from the field but the No. 1 overall pick appears to be settling in now and has been very efficient as of late.
Over the first 16 games of the season, Edwards averaged 12.3 points on 34.4% shooting from the field, including 27.4% from 3-point range. Since that point, however, Edwards is averaging 18 points on 46.6% shooting from the field and 50% (15-of-30) from beyond the arc.
Edwards, amidst the struggles, remained confident in his abilities on the court. The Timberwolves did, too, and inserted him into the starting lineup on Jan. 29.
Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders likes the aggressiveness Edwards brings to the starting unit, and believes that can help open things up for others. The team is getting Edwards more opportunities in catch-and-shoot situations, and he is responding.
On the season, Edwards is averaging 1.241 points per possession in catch-and-shoot opportunities, which ranks in the 70th percentile, according to Synergy Sports. He is converting on 41.4% (24-of-58) of those shot attempts.
“We have been trying over the last five games to get some more catch-and-shoot type of actions, especially out of timeouts,” Saunders said on Friday. “He is a worker. He is the type of guy that when we practice, and fly to Oklahoma City, you have to take the ball away from him because he wants to keep shooting. He is a worker so (his improved shooting) isn’t by accident.”
Edwards, along with the organization, knew it was just a matter of time before he found a groove on the floor. The team has challenged Edwards to be aggressive earlier in games, which can help him get going and his teammates, as well.
Hopefully, that can begin to result in some wins for the Timberwolves.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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