Anthony Edwards mentioned Thursday he would not play passing basketball when defenses are targeted on him. He confirmed it on Saturday.
The Minnesota Timberwolves star scored a career-high 53 factors on Saturday, accounting for almost all of his workforce’s scoring complete in a 119-105 loss to the Detroit Pistons. Edwards additionally completed the sport with two assists and 6 turnovers.
Edwards additionally accounted for 16 of Minnesota’s 34 discipline targets and 31 of its 80 makes an attempt.
It was a depressing recreation from begin to end for the Timberwolves, who relied on Edwards greater than the ultimate numbers counsel. At one level, he had 43 of their 68 factors and did not file his second help till the ultimate three minutes of the sport. The Pistons have been up double digits within the opening minutes of the second quarter and led by as many as 24 factors within the third.
The loss is a encapsulation of the issues which have plagued the Timberwolves since they traded Karl-Anthony Cities and guess huge on Edwards as their offense’s first — and, frankly, second — possibility. The workforce’s file is now 17-17, whereas Edwards has expressed frustration with the variety of double groups he is dealing with.
After a loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday, Edwards mentioned he wasn’t having fun with having to cross out in double groups and was nonetheless making an attempt to determine what to do. He additionally made it very clear that he would like to not cross:
“It is a good model of basketball, however that is not how I wish to play, in fact. I am solely 23, I do not wish to simply cross the ball all night time. … However The way in which they’re guarding me, I believe I’ve to do it.
The Pistons may have listened.
