For five years, Anthony Edwards has proved himself as one of the most aggressive competitors in the NBA.
The young superstar is the only 23-year-old to lead his team to back-to-back Western Conference Finals.
However, Edwards' tenacity and competitive spirit aren't aligning with the direction the NBA has moved recently -- prompting head coach Chris Finch to call for Edwards to make a change to his Edwards' chagrin.
May 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) drives against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) in the third quarter during game two of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards
Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
In a May 29 end-of-season news conference following a Game 5 elimination to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Finch made a call for Edwards to lean more into foul-baiting that has become synonymous with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
"Foul drawing. You see what gets rewarded, and we need to kind of lean into that a little bit," Finch said, per the Minnesota Star Tribune's Chris Hine. "Even though it’s not necessarily how [Edwards] likes to play, it seems to be effective."
Gilgeous-Alexander's run to become league MVP isn't a flash in the pan. It's been around since the origin of the NBA, but players more recently are becoming shrewd at using their strengths against competition to exploit the league's rules.
James Harden did it masterfully in his 2018 MVP run with the Houston Rockets. Luka Doncic was effective in leading the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals last year.
Regardless of the debates about the ethics of foul-baiting and sullying the purity of basketball, it's become ever-present even among the league's most talented players.
While Edwards hasn't gone as far as overhauling his play style, he did make some changes to his dribbling and voicing when he was fouled after his third season. It's resulted in an extra free-throw attempt per game over the past two seasons and nearly 100 more points a season at the charity stripe.
However, the Timberwolves appear poised to urge Edwards to do even more to get to the free-throw line next season.