Julius Randle’s arrival to the Timberwolves was met with skepticism, but he has brought something new to the table for Anthony Edwards.
The Minnesota Timberwolves surprised the entire NBA when they upset the third-seed Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.
Everyone backed the Lakers, as the pairing of LeBron James and Luka Doncic was just too strong. However, Anthony Edwards turned out to be the true superstar of the series.
That isn’t to say that the others didn’t play well. Edwards himself admitted to being scared when Luka Doncic made a big shot during Game 4.
But Edwards and the Timberwolves persevered. It isn’t just Edwards’ talent that makes him great, it’s his willingness to listen and learn from his teammates.
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Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch spoke about the impact Julius Randle has had on the rest of the team since arriving.
Finch pointed out how Randle’s good habits of preparing for games early have rubbed off on Anthony Edwards, who joins Randle in exercising well before a game to prepare himself.
“Julius is a consummate worker, he’s always in the gym. Both of them love to come back and get extra shots up at night. Actually, one thing I have seen now is that Ant goes to the gym super early. “
“On game day, Julius will go in there three and a half hours before and get his work in when no one else is in the gym, and Ant follows him now.”
“That’s been a good tandem. I think that’s really helped Ant’s preparation. He used to get into things closer to tip-off.”
“But now, he gets his work in so he can pace the rest of his preparation. And it probably doesn’t feel as rushed for him.”
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It’s good to hear that Randle has been a positive influence on Edwards, who continues to prove himself as an elite player. The relationship between the two has been mutually beneficial.
Kendrick Perkins recently claimed that playing with Edwards has given Randle a new purpose. On the Knicks, Randle was the second option of a fairly dynamic and disjointed offense.
Chris Finch has also praised Randle for persevering through a difficult stretch where he faced a lot of criticism. Now, Randle and Edwards are the two leaders of a dangerous Timberwolves side.
The two stars will keep their eye on tonight’s Game 7, as the Rockets take on the Warriors to determine who advances to the second round.
