Edwards has totaled 33 points through his first two games in the NBA, the fourth-most by a Timberwolves rookie in their first two games.
Once Anthony Edwards wrapped up his season opener, in which he scored 15 points, Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders commended the poise that he played with, especially as a rookie.
That was once again on full display in his second NBA game.
On Saturday, the No. 1 overall pick produced 18 points, including nine in the first quarter, two steals and one rebound to lead the Timberwolves’ efforts off the bench in a 116-111 win over the Utah Jazz. He shot 8-of-12 from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, and flashed his overall offensive scoring ability, from driving to the rim to even hitting a Dirk Nowitzki-like fadeaway shot.
The performance by the 19-year-old helped the Timberwolves stay unbeaten to start the season, and it also earned more praise from his head coach afterward.
“Confidence and poise, that’s how I’ll describe him right now,” Saunders said of Edwards. “He is going to be a really, really good player in this league and he already is. He is going to continue to take steps because he has a growth mindset, which is something we love about Ant. I thought he made plays within the offense and you don’t see that a whole lot from a teenager.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csOuEF_7H7U
Edwards has totaled 33 points through his first two games in the NBA, the fourth-most by a Timberwolves rookie in their first two games. The poise and confidence he plays with has been evident so far and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.
Saunders said Edwards improves each time he steps onto the court and hinted that he will eventually have a hard decision to make when it comes to setting the starting lineup based on his early performances. Based on that statement, Edwards could soon find himself in the starting lineup.
Minnesota returns to action on Sunday vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.
Rookie Wire decided to put on our thinking caps and predict the future so we made 10 bold predictions for the 2020-21 rookie class.
The 2020-21 NBA season officially tipped off this week with each team hitting the court to much fanfare following a historic, shortened training camp period.
With a new season upon us, there is a new opportunity for teams and players to leave their mark in the league. Organizations made plenty of changes during the offseason in preparation for what projects to be a challenging season ahead.
The incoming class of rookies look to make the most of a difficult transition to the NBA given the circumstances. The players have put forth some strong performances thus far during the preseason and look to continue that momentum into the regular season.
Rookie Wire decided to put on our thinking caps and predict the future. We made 10 bold predictions for the upcoming season for the rookie class and offer up an opinion on what we might see. To make this exercise fun, we will come back at the end of the season and see how we did.
One thing that it has always seemed like NBA players absolutely need to get to the league is a bit of irrational confidence. After all, they are playing against the best basketball players in the world.
One thing about Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards is that he is not lacking in that department — like, at all.
Edwards sat down for an interview with Timberwolves sideline reporter Marney Gellner and they began talking about how good he was at baseball in high school. He was apparently a cleanup batter for his team.
That conversation eventually went into other sports. Gellner asked what else Edwards was good at and his response was, well, basically everything.
It was absolutely hilarious. The funniest part was that I’m 80% sure he is dead serious.
“Gellner: Sounds like you’re just an athlete. Ping pong, baseball, football, basketball.
Edwards: Tennis, swimming, Lacrosse. Whatever you need me to play I’m going to go do it. If it’s some money on the line, I’m going to go do it.
Gellner: Can you golf?
Edwards: Whatever you need me to do.
Gellner: Okay, hockey?
Edwards: Whatever. On the rink. Whatever you need me to do. It don’t matter. Trashcan ball. Whatever you need me to do. Cook food, cook food. That’s something to do. I bet I’ll be A1 from day 1.
Welp. Rookie of the year has been decided. Give this kid the award already.
The No. 1 overall pick finished with 15 points, becoming the ninth Timberwolves rookie to produce a double-digit outing in their debut.
Anthony Edwards knew the rust would eventually fall off with additional playing time and, based on his performance in his season debut with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the No. 1 overall pick appears to finally be in a rhythm on the court.
Edwards scored 15 points, four rebounds and four assists on Wednesday to help the Timberwolves to a 111-101 win over the Detroit Pistons. He became the ninth Timberwolves rookie to produce a double-digit outing in his NBA debut, and the first since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2015.
The 19-year-old contributed 11 points alone in the first half, including seven in the opening period. He helped provide a spark off the bench as the Timberwolves trailed for much of the first half.
“I feel like I played really, really good,” Edwards said after the game. “I feel like I just came off the bench and changed the intensity of the game. That’s really it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfiVB1-wAno
The play of Edwards earned praise from head coach Ryan Saunders afterward. Saunders loved the poise that Edwards played with and the way he was able to find his teammates on the floor.
Saunders pointed to a recent film study that helped Edwards make the correct reads on certain plays. Edwards made those plays, and made them quickly, something Saunders noticed early on.
“I was really impressed,” Saunders said. “I have been fortunate to have been around a number of young rookies and the poise that I thought he played with and letting the game come to him was really impressive. He plays with so much force but he is also playing with more poise.”
Edwards thought portions of the game on Wednesday were easy, which proves just how comfortable he is now on the court. His ability to pick things up quickly will go a long way in the Timberwolves finding success this season but it appears as though he could be in for a strong rookie year.
Minnesota returns to action on Saturday vs. the Utah Jazz.
“They’re literally being placed right in the middle of the fire. That learning curve is going to be very steep.”
Cassius Stanley has known this day was coming, and he’s long dreamed of becoming a professional basketball player. He just never expected it to happen in a year unlike any other. None of his fellow rookies foresaw it playing out like this.
Stanley, selected by the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the 2020 NBA draft, was a standout high school basketball player at the powerhouse Sierra Canyon in Los Angeles before playing a one-and-done season at Duke University. His path hasn’t always been clear, but he’s reached the place he wanted to be.
It’s just that, thanks to COVID-19, nothing feels normal. At all.
Yet Stanley, 21, said he’s feeling mostly settled as his pro career begins. He was still moving into a new apartment when he recently spoke with For The Win, but credited his teammates and the NBA’s virtual rookie transition program for helping him navigate a process that is inherently chaotic during a year in which every normal rhythm has been knocked off beat.
The rookie program put him at ease as he reconnected with old friends, teammates and opponents.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
“Everyone is going through the same thing,” said Stanley. “It was pretty cool to scroll and see who was on and everyone was active. We were all turning on our mics and asking questions and it was really good to see some of the guys that I knew in high school and in AAU and college. Now, seeing all of us together in the same program and going through the same thing as rookies, I think that calmed a lot of nerves.”
The rookie program is important every year, but making sure its lessons carried through virtually was of vital importance as the NBA worked toward starting a new season today. Greg Taylor, the NBA’s Senior Vice President for Player Development, leads a team responsible for helping players navigate life in the NBA — and professional basketball in general — off the court. Taylor knows that maintaining an elite basketball career, even without the strange circumstances of an ongoing global pandemic, is a stressful job.
He told For The Win that his department exists to give players the tool kit to help navigate this in a healthy manner, both mentally and physically.
“Our goal is to prepare them for what to expect as they enter the league and to just let them understand that we are here both to support them and also to provide them with resources,” explained Taylor. “There is no question or experience or challenge that they will have that we haven’t had a chance to understand and see over the years.”
The rookie transition program, which has existed in an official capacity since 1986, is the main event for Taylor’s team. What previously occurred over four August days in New Jersey was abridged this year via Zoom over two days at the beginning of December.
Taylor recognized that the program missed the fraternal bonding aspects that come with the in-person setting of previous years. But he said the league was able to open invitations to a wider group of rookies and, for the first time, include several undrafted free agents that have signed two-way deals in the programming as well.
During the sessions, incoming rookies heard from the NBPA’s Dr. Bill Parham and NBA Mind Health’s Dr. Kensa Gunter. The NBA and NBPA also had medical experts on hand to discuss COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Rookies also joined various peer-to-peer panels hosted by three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade and current players in the league including Karl-Anthony Towns, Tobias Harris, Danillo Gallinari and Pat Connaughton.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
“With someone like Karl-Anthony Towns, he did a great job of relating because he was in our shoes just a few years ago. He went through some of the exact same things like EYBL, AAU, college,” said Stanley. “He made sure that we knew he was one of our guys, that he is definitely someone we should reach out to if we have any questions.”
Stanley, who averaged 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 14.3 minutes over three preseason games, has also been able to forge strong relationships with Pacers teammates. He specifically mentioned Victor Oladipo, Malcolm Brogdon, Jeremy Lamb, TJ McConnell, Doug McDermott, Aaron Holiday and Justin Holiday as players who’ve guided him. That’s part of the rookie program: Young players are taught how to befriend veterans and lean on them for mentoring and insight.
Taylor described the engagement on the Zoom sessions as “phenomenal” and enjoyed listening to the rookies talk to the current players about topics including what to expect on and off the floor, how to take care of their bodies, the value of sleep and hydration and nutrition, how to navigate the rookie wall, how to get in good graces with coaches and how to reach out for help.
He highlighted Tyrese Haliburton, James Wiseman, Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and Cole Anthony as those who took the time to ask very thoughtful questions.
Meanwhile, as these individuals receive significantly large paychecks for the first time in their lives and suddenly have to account for managing life-changing money, one of the primary goals of the rookie transition program is to help with financial literacy.
Purvis Short was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 1978 NBA draft and enjoyed twelve seasons in the league. He now serves as the NBPA’s Chief of Player Programming and told For The Win that players from his era struggled without the sort of programs the league now provides.
“We didn’t have financial education programs. We didn’t have a career development program,” said Short. “So a lot of us made a lot of mistakes, man.”
Purvis Short (Mike Powell/Getty Images)
These days, Short says that one of the reasons he still works with the players’ labor union is because he wishes that he had a better understanding of the expectations that an NBA player carries when he comes into the league.
He emphasized that he personally wants to help rookies learn how to conduct and carry themselves so as to best represent themselves as an individual and as a member of an NBA organization.
Short can pull from his firsthand experience to tell you that that success on the court has a lot to do with athletic talent, of course. But it is also about how well someone is able to adjust to a new environment, teammates, coaches and work habits.
Nothing will be able to fully prepare a rookie as they turn the page to this massive new chapter in their lives. The rookie transition program, however, will make it a little bit easier for players like Stanley who are up for the challenge.
“This year was particularly difficult,” Short said. “They’re literally being placed right in the middle of the fire. That learning curve is going to be very steep. But that’s why we’re here, to try to help them in whatever way we can and hopefully ease that transition.”
HoopsHype predicts all of the All-NBA squads for the 2020-21 season, including the All-Defense and All-Rookie honorees as well.
As we get closer and closer to the upcoming 2020-21 season, HoopsHype decided to make predictions for the All-NBA squads – including rookies and defensive players.
As the league does it, for each group, HoopsHype writers were allowed to pick one big man, two forwards and two guards. These were the results:
Towns understands the Timberwolves as a team must push Edwards to bring out the best in him throughout his rookie season.
No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards hasn’t been in Minnesota very long but his teammates and coaching staff can already tell that he wants to be great and is willing to put in the work to reach that level as a player.
On Thursday, Edwards flashed some of his potential, recording a preseason-high 17 points, three rebounds and three assists during a 129-127 overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks. Anthony said on Wednesday that he likely needed another game or two to get back into a rhythm, and though he shot just 5-of-15 from the field, Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders thought he performed great throughout the contest.
“I thought Anthony was great tonight. I really did,” Saunders said after the game. “I’m excited about him because of the stuff that he shows in a lot of ways, I thought tonight he did a better job of picking his spots and also letting the offense work for him. You also saw a dynamic scorer come out in certain ways. When he’s going, we’ll let him roll a little bit as time continues to go on. I like how he competed defensively, too.”
Edwards showed off each aspect of his game that prompted the Timberwolves to take him with the top pick. He worked well in the pick-and-roll with Karl-Anthony Towns at times, while he also ran the floor in transition and drained three 3-pointers. Perhaps most impressive, he flashed his defensive skill set on one sequence, in particular, guarding Luka Doncic.
The Timberwolves are hoping Edwards can build upon his performance on Thursday as the regular season kicks off next week. Edwards averaged 11.3 points per game during the preseason but still has so much of his game to unlock.
Towns understands that the organization, himself included, will need to push Edwards this season to be the best player he can be.
“[We] have to make Anthony great,” Towns said. “It takes a village, you know? I was fortunate to have [Kevin Garnett] and Tayshaun Prince and Andre Miller and everybody but I gotta translate that to Ant with not having that kind of experience.
“He is doing an amazing job. Ant is really hungry to be great and that is what is so positive about him. He wants to be great and he wants to be the best. It’s up to us as a team, as an organization, especially me and D’Lo as leaders, to bring the best out of him and help him find the groove and rhythm he needs to be successful in the NBA.”
The No. 1 overall pick said on Wednesday that he just needs more time to get comfortable on the court with the Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards last played competitive basketball on a consistent basis nearly 10 months ago. The long layover, coupled with the shortened training camp period, has created a difficult transition to the NBA but the No. 1 overall pick feels as though he is close to returning to his former self.
Edwards on Wednesday admitted that he is still working to find his way on the court with the Minnesota Timberwolves and that his first two games are not indicative of things to come. The team has only participated in practice not even two weeks and Edwards simply just needs more time to knock off some of the rust.
Through his first two preseason games, Edwards is averaging 8.5 points, four rebounds, 1.5 assists and one steal in 26.1 minutes per game. He has struggled with his shot, converting on just 26.1% from the field and 16.7% from 3-point range.
The shooting, Edwards said, will come soon enough.
“A lot of shots that I am missing, I normally make in games,” Edwards said. “I feel like I haven’t played basketball in a long, long time. Anybody can shoot when there is nobody out there. So, playing 5-on-5, you’ve got to get used to that and I feel like it takes more than two games. I feel like the next game I play [on Thursday] I should make more shots and be more comfortable. By the time Dec. 23 [comes] when we play Detroit, I feel like everything will back into rhythm.”
Edwards has felt more comfortable each time he has stepped onto the court and feels strongly that he will be comfortable again for the regular-season opener against the Pistons. He wants to work on attacking in transition more and will focus on that area of his game on Thursday in the preseason finale versus the Washington Wizards.
The transition for Edwards, and the rest of the rookie class, will certainly be a work in progress given the circumstances but it bodes well that the top pick feels as though he will be ready soon.
No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards registered his first double-digit scoring effort of the preseason with the Timberwolves on Monday.
On Monday, No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards scored 12 points to finish with his first double-digit scoring effort of the preseason as the Minnesota Timberwolves lost 123-104 to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Edwards added four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 26 minutes off the bench. While scoring in double figures, Edwards struggled to shoot from the field, converting on just 4-of-14 from the field and 1-of-7 from 3-point range.
The performance by Edwards was highlighted by an incredible chase-down block on Grizzlies guard De’Anthony Melton. The play showed an unrelenting effort by Edwards to be able to get to the ball in time to avoid a goaltending call.
The Timberwolves put Edwards in a position to contribute throughout the game, with and without the ball. He showed good movement without the ball in a few situations and that will likely be key for him this season with other ball-dominate guards on the roster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKGoGktvh48
Edwards, like all rookies, will face a difficult transition to the NBA this season given the shortened training camp period prior to the regular season. The 19-year-old is forced to learn a completely new system on the fly and it will likely take some time before getting comfortable on the floor.
Minnesota wraps up preseason play Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks.
Edwards scored five points and four rebounds during his preseason debut with the Timberwolves on Saturday night.
On Saturday, No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards made his NBA preseason debut with the Minnesota Timberwolves at home against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Edwards totaled five points, four rebounds and one assist in 26 minutes of work off the bench in the 107-105 loss. He managed to shoot just 2-of-9 from the field, including 1-of-5 from 3-point range, while he committed five fouls and three turnovers.
The struggles of Edwards in his first preseason game were to be expected. The 19-year-old has just one week of training camp under his belt and did not have the opportunity to participate in Summer League as a typical rookie would have.
Despite the slow start, teammate D’Angelo Russell saw positives with his game.
“I like his game,” Russell said after the game on a Zoom call with reporters. “He doesn’t force it. He is trying to make the right play out there. He’s getting to his spots. He’s not making shots, that’s an adjustment, but you can tell he has some flavor to him.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AzGgxYFg6o
Minnesota is going to bring Edwards along slowly during the early part of the season.
The remaining two preseason games will give Edwards the chance to get his conditioning back to game speed as he also works on his comfort level on the floor. Overall, Edwards will need more time to get adjusted but showed some good things on Saturday.
The Timberwolves play next on Monday once again vs. the Grizzlies.
