“Ain’t Nothing Soft About That”: Lou Williams Commends Timberwolves’ Response to Anthony Edwards’ Callout

After a dysfunctional 8-10 start to the campaign, Anthony Edwards took it upon himself to fire up the rest of his Timberwolves squad. The fourth-year star bluntly called out his team for being ‘soft’, emphasizing the lack of maturity and cohesion in key losses. However, the Timberwolves seem to be turning into a formidable team, thanks to Edwards’ fiery call-out.

After three victories that included the walloping of both Los Angeles teams – the Lakers once and the Clippers twice – Minnesota earned the respect of former NBA players Lou Williams and Chandler Parsons, who lauded the Timberwolves for responding positively to Ant-Man’s sharp criticism.

Williams wasn’t surprised that the Minnesota side, which boasts a solid mix of young players and veterans, had figured out the murky situation quickly.

“They have the right personality of a team to respond; Naz Reid, you look at Mike Conley, Julius Randle, Ant Edwards, these are extremely mature guys that can take some criticism, criticize as well, and go out and respond. Now they’re playing a brand of basketball… there’s nothing soft about that,” Williams said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back.

The Timberwolves are 3-0 since Anthony Edwards called the team “soft”

“Look at this. Ain’t nothing soft about that.” – @TeamLou23

“This is leadership. This is great to see.” – @ChandlerParsons

https://t.co/iQzNMjiVd2 pic.twitter.com/jSJce79zbt

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 5, 2024

Parsons proceeded to praise the 23-year-old for his early guidance of his team, which was very necessary. “To me, this is just leadership, this is great to see from Anthony Edwards… he didn’t call out one person individually, he didn’t call out Chris Finch.”

“He said ‘we’ as a team, as in everybody, ‘We’re just a bunch of kids, we’re soft’, and you know what, they probably realized, that they addressed it, they looked in the mirror, and now they’ve gone on a little heater…” Parsons added.

Still only 11-10, the Timberwolves will need this competitive approach from the team to continue if they hope to replicate or build on last season’s success. Nonetheless, a dominant three-game winning streak is an excellent place to start.

The Timberwolves have shown ability to bounce back despite major roster changes

Minnesota’s trade of Karl-Anthony Towns will likely remain a talking point for the team for the foreseeable future, especially if they fail to live up to their own lofty expectations. However, the Timberwolves have shown they can dominate regardless.

Minnesota dominated in Los Angeles, coming out on top in a close victory over the Clippers on Friday before dismantling the Lakers by nearly 30 points on Monday. On Wednesday, they blew out the Clippers in a rematch, holding the opponent to just 80 points in a defensive spectacle.

For now, this may be able to put the doubters on hold. But if they fail to sustain it, the KAT trade may chase the T-Wolves like a bad memory.

Some were quick to dogpile on the Timberwolves following Edwards’ rant, including Paul Pierce, who has been one of many to voice his discontent on the blockbuster Towns trade. “I’ve been disappointed in Minnesota for the most part. This early, through 20 games, they’re (around) .500. [Anthony Edwards] calling them soft out there. Everybody got their own agenda. That trade ain’t looking so good now huh?”

By the end of the season, Pierce’s statement may have more more validity to it. But for now, the Timberwolves seem to be back to their winning ways.