On Friday, rookie Anthony Edwards earned his first career start in the NBA as the Minnesota Timberwolves hosted the Philadelphia 76ers. Unfortunately, the change in the starting unit didn’t offer much resistance against Joel Embiid & Co.
Edwards earned the start on Friday with the Timberwolves down centers Karl-Anthony Towns (health and safety protocols) and Naz Reid (wrist). With both big men out, Timberwolves head coach Ryan Saunders opted to go smaller and gave Edwards his first start.
The No. 1 overall pick produced 15 points, four rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes of work during the 118-94 loss. The effort by Edwards was his fourth straight game with at least 15 points, and the 10th of the season, which leads all rookie players.
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Overall, Edwards continued to struggle a bit to shoot, hitting just 5-of-13 from the field and 3-of-7 from 3-point range. Despite the inefficiency this season, Edwards has proven to be a dynamic scorer, easily capable of taking over games.
The rebuilding Timberwolves will likely continue to be up and down this season in terms of on-court product, but the development of Edwards will certainly be worth monitoring throughout the year.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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