This summer's free agency and trades were horribly chilled, with the few exceptions being France's Tallarudi Gobert leaving jazz to join the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves paid a very high price to get Rudy Gobert, and the meaning behind it was to bet everything on anthony Edwards, a two-year-old champion.
According to the data of all parties, Anthony Edwards has grown from 6 feet 4 before the draft to 6 feet 6, supplemented by super physical strength and 6 feet 10 arm span, strong figure, the condition is enough to flank double picks instead of only playing defenders. Then again, even with excellent innate conditions, Anthony Edwards Rookie year and the best newcomer passed, the following year grew into a 21 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1.5 steals of the all-round attacker, although the excellent is not yet the top, so far the personal honor is only the rookie first team.
But perhaps because Minnesota's environment is too special, the team has been weak for too long, and after returning to the playoffs and winning two games in the first round, the Timberwolves first decided to poach former Nuggets president Tim Cornelly with a 5-year, 40 million additional equity contract. Shortly after taking office, Tim Connelly took office with three fires and got Rudy Gobert in an almost stud manner, implicitly betting the ceiling on Anthony Edwards.
Wait, isn't the most important thing about the Rudy Gobert deal about his suitability with Carl-Anthony Downs (KAT for short)? Can this kind of super-large twin towers that go against the times come in handy? Rudy Gobert is weak in the playoffs, and how to solve it when he is frequently caught and played? Will the cost be too great?
These tactical questions are relatively easy to answer, personal observation of the twin towers is not impossible, the most efficient center who fell after the blocking and demolition last season is called Rudy Gobert, and the most efficient person to pull out and shoot after the blocking is KAT, and they are very good at attacking. The defensive part has to get KAT or Rudy Gobert out of the dots that only a few teams can do, presumably only in the playoffs; Getting Rudy Gobert paid too much but that was a small market sadness, with a focus on team building strategy.
The deal comes after KAT's Super Salary extension, and the Timberwolves can control KAT all the way through the 2028 season. KAT is strong and now ranks second in Timberwolves history, behind hall of fame Kevin Garnett; 6 feet 11 tall, won the three-point contest champion, he may be the strongest projection type of long man in history; Career shots were 52.9%/39.7%/83.3%, almost a member of the 180 club. Unfortunately, the highly anticipated defensive ability of that year has never been developed, not only can not become a defensive center, but also need someone to help him wipe his ass.
The Timberwolves chose to make up for it once, and got Rudy Gobert, who is currently the strongest in the basket and rebound. This defensive long-man decline curve is relatively flat, with the best precedent being Mutombo, who is said to be older in real age. He won his last defensive record at age 34, was selected for the Star Game at 35, and played all the way to retirement after the age of 40. Spanish center Marc Gasol was the 28-year-old who won the best defensive player, and the defensive threat was still terrible until the 34-year-old and the Season when the Raptors won the championship.
The defense of these two centers is not simply physical, but a combination of height, standing and judgment, which is more similar to Rudy Gobert's style. Rudy Gobert is in fairly good shape with no major athletic injuries, and the playoffs seem to be related to the Jazz's poor perimeter defenders, and it is reasonable to estimate that the decline will not be too fast. The Timberwolves can control Rudy Gobert from the golden age of 30-33 years old, KAT and Rudy Gobert's double tower contract all the way to the end of the 2025-26 season (assuming Rudy Gobert executes the player selection), and the Timberwolves have the top shooting long man in these years, and the defense and basket protection will not be too bad.
The floor is constructed, and the rest is the ceiling. The Timberwolves gave up their future draft picks, and it seems that Tim Connelly is confident in his vision and can be treasured from the second round or even the development league. However, from a practical point of view, this kind of player can not be sought, and it takes a long time to develop to convert into combat power, and the Timberwolves want it now.
The team is clearly not strong enough right now and needs young players to grow. Second-year student Jaydon McDaniels is one of the protagonists, and anthony Edwards, the lead writer of this article, is even more so.
Anthony Edwards scored a team-high 30 points in the playoffs to help the Timberwolves grab the seventh seed. Facing the Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs, Anthony Edwards scored 151 points in six games, the highest overall score in a single series under the league under 21. The efficiency part is not bad, shooting/three-pointers/free throws are 45.5%/40.4%/82.4% with 1.2 steals and 1.2 hot pots, which is impeccable except for slightly fewer rebounds and assists. Anthony Edwards proved that not only did he play well in the regular season, but he could also jump out to help his team when faced with playoff pressure.
What's more important is the mindset. After the playoffs, Anthony Edwards said this: It's really great to taste the playoffs, and I will continue to improve with the offseason. I'm ready to come back next season and the future of the team depends on our efforts in the summer. I also told the team that the door of my training hall is always open!
It seems that he did what he said, and immediately went to training after a short break. Guess what Anthony Edwards was doing on the day of the draft? Keep training! Anthony Edwards Rookie broke through the cocoon in the second half of the year and continued to improve in the 2021-22 season. He has super physical fitness and first-class feel, and the biggest problem blocking the front is the ability to interpret the game.
Perhaps because the innate conditions were too good, Anthony Edwards did not need to read the game at all in high school and college, and did not really face the challenge until he entered the NBA. There's nothing wrong with the regular season not being well targeted, but it's not so easy to get to the playoffs. To go far in the playoffs, in addition to offensive and defensive stability, it is more important to have a scorer who can open a deadlock at key moments. Anthony Edwards is fully gifted with this talent, but it hasn't yet translated into a real contribution.
Anthony Edwards also had to collect the ball too early. The following year he joined the European step as a means of termination, which was more powerful with the already fierce linear acceleration. However, from time to time, he is still seen collecting the ball on the edge of the penalty area, resulting in only throwing random finishes, which are inefficient and unable to create fouls. Dribbling more patiently and taking advantage of the body is the next subject, and it also depends on advanced reading defense.
Defensively he will play a heavy role, Anthony Edwards has all the conditions to defend a large flank, the two towers to defend the penalty area to have a large range of defense, the young and strong Anthony Edwards is the best candidate. His defense has grown a lot, and he seems willing to put in the effort, and the Timberwolves need him on the defensive end to be no less than offensive.
It is the characteristic of Anthony Edwards, from the pre-election visit without a special love of basketball, to the later claim to grow to 6 feet 6 can be compared to the trapeze Jordan, and then within 5 years to become an NBA Kanban figure and other clans are not ready to load. Super self-confidence is one of the necessary conditions for becoming a superstar, and Anthony Edwards is not a problem at all. But if you just talk nonsense, you will only talk big, and overconfidence will become a laughing stock, and you must be consistent with your words and deeds.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch has given his players a clear position and considerable freedom, and the young Anthony Edwards is no exception. Some experiences must be acquired in failure to be remembered, but the process is not too good. Anthony Edwards has accumulated a lot of energy in the first two years, and in addition to the occasional knee condition, he is also generally healthy, and he will be the future Kanban figure of the Timberwolves.
With the twin towers, the Timberwolves have secured the playoffs for several years; But to really make a breakthrough, it still depends on the growth height of young people. Anthony Edwards, nicknamed Ant-Man, is the key person!