4 straight losses have Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards fed up along with his teammates.
Edwards is upset with the infantile model of basketball Minnesota is taking part in, one thing he hopes the Timberwolves can abandon after they face the Los Angeles Clippers Friday evening in Minneapolis in West Group A of the NBA Cup .
Minnesota is barely six months faraway from a Western Convention finals look, however there’s a rising disconnect within the locker room in Edwards’ eyes. The Timberwolves misplaced 115-104 to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday to fall to 8-10, main the two-time All-Star to name for a direct change.
“We’re candy as hell as a staff, internally. Not in direction of the opposite staff, however internally, we’re gentle. We are able to’t speak to one another,” Edwards stated. “Only a bunch of little children.” It is like we’re taking part in with a bunch of little children. Everybody, the entire staff.
“We simply can’t speak to one another. And we’ve to seek out out, as a result of we will not go down that path.
Getting again on observe in opposition to Los Angeles will not be a straightforward job, nevertheless. The Clippers have gained six of their final seven video games, most not too long ago beating the Washington Wizards 121-96 on Wednesday.
James Harden led Los Angeles with a game-high 43 factors on 13-of-22 taking pictures from the sphere. He was additionally efficient from deep, flattening 7 of 11 3-pointers.
Not like Edwards, Harden had no complaints about these round him.
“These guys, I am not outdated, however they make me really feel younger,” Harden instructed FanDuel Sports activities Community after the win over Washington. “They push me. We work collectively. It is an actual staff. … I am happy with the fellows and the way we strategy each sport in another way, in a good way.
“We’re skilled about this. And so, a whole lot of video games might be totally different than others, however the mindset and the mentality that we’ve as a unit could be very particular.
The Clippers could possibly be even stronger Friday if Norman Powell fits up. The veteran guard/ahead is averaging a team-high 23.3 factors per sport this season however hasn’t performed since Nov. 18 as a result of a hamstring damage.
Throughout his time in Los Angeles, Powell averaged 16.5 factors on eye-popping taking pictures splits (53.6% total, 59.4% from distance) in six video games in opposition to Minnesota. He might wreak havoc on a staff within the gutter that appears to have Mike Conley as its solely optimist.
“Belief me, we talked concerning the final three losses as a staff and as gamers,” Conley stated. “And on the finish of the day, man, it is about us believing, believing once more, believing in what we’re doing.
“It’s not about you within the huge sport. It’s not about in the event you make photographs, in the event you miss photographs, in the event you flip it over. We should reside with one another’s deficiencies. We should reside with one another’s errors and carry one another up.
Conley had 16 factors to enrich Edwards’ season-high 29 within the loss to Sacramento. Julius Randle contributed 21 factors and 9 rebounds, whereas Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 17 factors coming off the bench.
Friday marks the ultimate West Group A sport for the Timberwolves, who’re 1-2 within the event this season. The Clippers are 1-1 and end group motion in opposition to the Portland Path Blazers on Tuesday.
The Houston Rockets have already clinched West Group A with a 3-0 report.
–Subject degree media
