Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves defending Shai Gilgeous=Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - MAY 26: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles against Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second quarter in Game Four of the Western Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center on May 26, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ season ended early this week with a loss in five games to the 2025 NBA Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and now begin an offseason they were hoping not to have yet.
In the grand scheme of things, this is not too bad. After an anemic first three decades of the franchise’s existence, back-to-back conference finals appears represent the purplest patch of play in the Timberwolves’ history. And given that they are led on the court by an All-Star guard who does not even turn 24 until August in the form of Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves have not reached their ceiling yet.
Edwards’s development, therefore, is at the core of their future. They need him to be the finished article if they are to turn the purpliest patch of play in franchise history into their first-ever title. So when Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch elaborated on how Edwards could take the next level up as a player, his answer was very telling.
Timberwolves Want Nuance In His Development
Talking about Edwards in a public “exit interview” session after the Timberwolves’ elimination, Finch was effusive with his praise, in everything from Edwards’s nightly effort level to changes in his diet. He did however also highlight that he wants to see Edwards do a better job of getting to the best spots on the floor, and, once there, improve his ability to draw fouls.
“You see right now in the league, you see what gets rewarded”, said Finch. “You need to kind of lean into that a little bit, even though it’s not necessarily how he likes to play, but it seems to be effective.”
Finch’s comments came after a series in which foul calls for the Thunder became a dominant narrative. Although the two teams shot an almost-identical number of free throws across the series – 111 for the Thunder, 107 for the Timberwolves – it was the foul-drawing prowess of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, that was the game-changing factor in the series’ first two games.
Gilgeous-Alexander, undeterred, made it plain that he does not care about the critics’ views of the aesthetics of his playing style, and just wants to play the most effective way that he can. In his comments, Finch made it clear he wants Edwards to do the same, as well as how better to sell the physical defence that the Thunder threw at him.
“He’s got to learn to play against that physicality and that kind of holding all the time,” Finch told reporters after Game Five. “They made it really hard for him. I thought for a lot of the series he did make the right play. We preach that to him all the time […] we need him to be aggressive for sure.”
Edwards Understood The Assignment
Edwards, for his part, recognised the importance of his development, and promised to put in the effort required.
“I’m gonna work my butt off this summer”, Edwards said in his post-game press conference alongside Timberwolves point guard, Mike Conley. “Nobody’s gonna work harder than me this summer, I’ll tell you that much. I’ll try to make it happen again for Mike.”
All season long, the Thunder have played the best defence in the NBA, and some of the best that the league has ever seen. For an unfinished product like Edwards, the relentless barrage of bothersome defenders that the Thunder could throw at him (Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Jalen Williams, and others) proved too tough of an obstacle to overcome. The best way to win at something, though, is often to lose at it first.
While the loss was tough to swallow for the Timberwolves, as the Thunder showed how wide the gap between the two teams was, Edwards also got first-hand experience of what he could develop as an individual to close that gap. If he puts in the work he has promised to do, he and the Wolves should come back better.