Ant Edwards had a disappointing Western Conference Finals as the Wolves lost in five games. Head coach Chris Finch explains what he simply has to improve in the aftermath.
The Minnesota Timberwolves were massacred by the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. The score was 124-94 as they were ruthlessly pushed out of the playoffs.
Anthony Edwards was a disappointment on the night, managing just 19 points on an abysmal 39 percent shooting performance from the field. This, unfortunately, wasn’t his first poor game of the series either.
Edwards snapped back at critics after his Game 4 performance was criticized. This wasn’t received well. Stephen A. Smith questioned Ant after what he said.
The 23-year-old needed a big performance after that, but couldn’t deliver. And now his head coach has pinpointed his biggest weakness from the series.
OKC is an elite defensive team. One of their biggest strengths is their physicality. It was apparent during this comfortable Conference Finals victory.
Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace combined to play excellent defense against Edwards. Some of it was perhaps too rough, but it got the job done.
Chris Finch has previously complained about the contact the Thunder are allowed to get away with. Yet, after the brutal Game 5 loss, that’s exactly what he said his young superstar has to overcome.
“Obviously, he’s got to learn to play against that physicality. And that kind of holding all the time,” Finch said in his postgame press conference.
“They made it hard for him… He’s gotta find some easier buckets, I gotta help him do that. I think we were never able to establish something consistent with him.”
It’s not just that the Timberwolves lost in the Conference Finals; it’s how they did it. Losing in five games means the team got outplayed, and Ant’s output was a major contributor.
Edwards averaged 23.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. That is 4.6 points per game less than the average he had during the regular season.
The Minnesota All-Star scored less than 20 points in three out of five games. Despite being the NBA’s three-point leader this year, Ant shot a woeful 28.2 percent from range.
Edwards is young, and he will continue to improve. But with the Western Conference continuing to grow tougher, he needs to find a way to become undeniable in the playoffs, and fast.
