With a disappointing 20-18 record and currently 8th in the West, The Minnesota Timberwolves have been underwhelming, to say the least. People are trying to figure out why after their Western Conference Finals appearance last season. Some talking heads, including Charles Barkley, believe Anthony Edwards’ regression is the main reason for Minnesota’s downfall. However, Draymond Green doesn’t believe the two-time All-Star has fallen off at all.
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Green was informed about a statement Barkley made regarding Edwards’ season, which the 34-year-old quickly brushed off as nonsense. When Baron Davis asked him if he agreed with Chuck, he responded, “I don’t think Anthony Edwards is regressing,” before going on a tangent supporting the young star.
The Warriors legend did underline that Edwards may not be playing the way everyone expected him to because of the new roster he had to adjust to in the offseason. Green emphasized that the expectations for the 23-year-old were naturally going to be sky-high after last year’s Conference Finals berth. He noted that Edwards may lack the energy and tenacity that helped him elevate Minnesota to contention status, but he hasn’t regressed skill-wise.
In fact, he claimed that Edwards has actually improved this year. “[Edwards] has gotten better actually,” Green added, highlighting the All-NBA guard’s noticeable jump in three-point efficiency. Edwards has gone from knocking down 35% of his 6.7 3PA to hitting a scorching 42% on 9.9 attempts per game.
Green added that if he were to make an argument against Edwards, it would be his lack of hunger, not his declining skills. “I would take more that approach… rather than like, ‘Anthony Edwards has regressed’ because that’s just not true,” Green continued, “[Edwards] hasn’t regressed one bit.”
The Warriors forward also believes Edwards’ performance should be the least of Minnesota’s worries, as the team created more problems than it solved last offseason.
Draymond Green highlighted why the Timberwolves are struggling
After segueing past the Edwards discussion, Green underlined how Minnesota moved on from their franchise centerpiece in Karl-Anthony Towns in exchange for Julius Randle, who operate much differently from each other. “Removing a player like KAT is a big, big deal,” Green went on, emphasizing how much time it can take for a team to adjust from a move of that magnitude.
The Timberwolves are still adjusting to life without Towns, who is producing at All-NBA levels with the New York Knicks this season. Minnesota may need to also make changes on their roster, but the team’s first priority should be freeing their star from the constant double teams thrown his way. Otherwise, the Timberwolves will continue to sputter, with even Edwards’ hero ball not enough to bail them out of defeat.
