Anthony Edwards was defiant following the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 124-94 season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5.
“I’m going to work my butt off this summer.” Edwards said, “Nobody’s going to work harder than me this summer. I’ll tell you that much.”
Anthony Edwards: "I don't know why people would think it would hurt, it's exciting for me. I'm 23. I get to do it a whole bunch of times…hurt is a terrible word to use. I'm good."
"Nobody is going to work harder than me this summer."pic.twitter.com/Kzxwbe0XZL
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 29, 2025
Ant always adds to his game
Edwards has come back every season after adding new facets to his game. This offseason will be the first summer since before the 2022-23 season that Edwards will have the summer off to focus on his game.
He participated in FIBA two years ago and the Olympics last offseason. Without additional offseason basketball commitments, Edwards will have plenty of time to hone his craft, allowing for ample growth potential.
“I think areas of improvement for him are just going to be along the think-the-game route, really,” said Chris Finch. “I think he’s got to also kind of figure out a bit of a closing package. We have to help him there. What shots and places on the floor can he repeatedly get to?”
Finch also believes Edwards can do more to get a better whistle.
“Foul drawing. You see right now in the league, you see what gets rewarded, and we need to kind of lean into that a little bit, even though it’s not necessarily how [Edwards] likes to play, but it seems to be effective.”
Chris Finch on Anthony Edwards and what he needs to work on over the summer
“I think he’s in a really good place in his developmental arc… he’s done a pretty good amount of winning, a lot of winning actually… areas of improvement for him are going to be around the think the… pic.twitter.com/ndNjJliAAa
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) May 29, 2025
Edwards needs a closing package
The first part of Finch’s statement rings the most true about Edwards. He occasionally struggled with his closing package. Statistically, it bore out: He averaged 7.5 minutes per fourth quarter during the regular season, 6.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists.
Edwards’ shooting percentages dropped in the final frame. His shot percentage from inside five feet dropped from 61.9% to 53.4%. So did his shots from five to nine feet, going from 42.2% to 34.6%. Edwards’ mid-range plummeted from 37.6% to 33.3%.
His 3-point shooting marginally improved from 39.5% to 39.6%, but his true shooting dropped from 59.5% to 58.0%.
It starts with having a go-to move
The drop is likely due to exactly what Finch described. Edwards didn’t consistently have spots where he could score easy baskets. He relied on either the pull-up 3 in transition or attacking the basket seemingly without much of a plan after the initial drive. The lack of a go-to offense allowed defenses to stack up against him.
In a way, the unpredictability can be a positive. For example, everyone expects LeBron James to shoot when he dribbles in place. Down by two in the fourth quarter, he’ll quickly side-step to the right or left and rise from there. People have seen that move a million times by now, and defenses can prepare for that option.
LeSIDESTEP THREE 🤯🤯🤯
OUR KING IS FEELING HIMSELF pic.twitter.com/9zCC3fv348
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) April 26, 2025
However, people have seen it a million times because it’s effective. It’s something James has practiced, and his team can anticipate. The forwards can expect the shot and have a better chance of an offensive rebound, and the wings and shooters can prepare for a transition play.
Ant can help his teammates by being more predictable
Edwards doesn’t have a signature move that is a staple of his late-game execution. That unpredictability can throw off players waiting for a pass that will never come. It can affect Minnesota’s offensive rebounding because post players can’t slide in as easily before the shot goes up. It also makes Finch’s game planning more difficult. He must pick the spot for Edwards and determine how to get him there.
Teams exposed Edwards’ lack of a finishing move more in the playoffs. Edwards shot brilliantly for most of the playoffs, even in the fourth quarter. Still, he struggled in crucial moments. Edwards had 11 out of his 39 turnovers in the fourth quarter and shot 47.7% from the field and just 34.3% from 3. In Minnesota’s six playoff losses, Edwards shot 18.2% from 3 in the closing quarter and committed 7 of his 11 turnovers.
For Edwards to take the next step forward in the playoffs, he must develop a go-to fourth-quarter spot that he can get to frequently. It will be key to further unlocking Edwards, like James’ 3, Michael Jordan’s fadeaway, or Tim Duncan’s bank shot.
Edwards also must draw more fouls
Finch’s second point about drawing fouls is valid, although maybe not as necessary. Edwards only averaged 6.3 free-throw attempts per game during the regular season, good for 16th in the NBA. Edwards also averaged the sixth-most shot attempts per game. He was sixth in isolation plays and 12th in usage rate.
On its surface, it’s easy to think Edward should be closer to the 8th-ranked James Harden at 7.3 attempts per game. However, Edwards ranked 19th in drives this past year, and drives at the basket are typically the most efficient way to get to the line.
Given the current roster construction with Rudy Gobert, Edwards would need to drive to the rim more times per game to increase his free-throw rate without flopping on 3-point shots. That may be due to the number of bodies in the paint on any play.
Edwards is going to outwork everybody
“You learn that dude is an animal in how hard he works,” Donte DiVincenzo said in his exit interview. “He said last year (he) focused going into the season on (Edwards’) 3-ball, and then he goes and leads the NBA in 3s. So, when he says last night no one is going to work harder than him, I can bet my money no one is going to work harder.”
Donte DiVincenzo on what he learned about Anthony Edwards this year
“He’s a great dude, what is he like 23? Dudes 23 years old(laughs) I’m not saying it like I’m 50… he’s just so charismatic, he cares about his teammates, he just wants to have fun and when your around that… pic.twitter.com/tmUaCEp15u
— Andrew Dukowitz (@adukeMN) May 29, 2025
Edwards will go into his first full offseason in three years with a to-do list from the Wolves. He exits the season having fallen short in the Western Conference Finals for two years in a row.
His next step is winning a championship. Edwards will have to put in much work this offseason to ascend to higher levels. As the offseason has officially started for the Wolves, people will hold Edwards to his standard of working harder than anyone this offseason.