Anthony Edwards is ready to take on a louder role for the Timberwolves.
For Minnesota, that means more than just scoring and highlight plays. It means speaking up when the details slip, and doing it in a way that keeps a team together through the grind of an NBA season. Coach Chris Finch and several Timberwolves have not fully had that kind of on-court leadership in this group, which is why Edwards is planning to grow into it now.
"Speak up when I see something. I think that’s pretty simple. Anytime I see something going wrong, just speak up," Edwards declared.
That shift matters for a Timberwolves team that has come close to the NBA Finals without getting over the Western Conference Finals barrier. With Edwards as the centerpiece, Minnesota has reached that seven-game stage twice in the past six years, and Finch is hoping his star can help push the group one step further toward the Larry O'Brien trophy.
A big reason Edwards is being asked to lean into that responsibility is the turnover around him. Minnesota had to part with Naz Reid to land LaMelo Ball, then watched Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson, and Joe Ingles leave in free agency.
The team also traded Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets to clear the way for the new roster. That left the Timberwolves with less veteran voice than before.
Finch wants Edwards to help fill that gap.
"Now, it’s up to him to take the next step in leadership, and that is his voice has grown intelligently and appropriately over the last few seasons. Now, it’s got to be the combination of the voice plus the everyday presence of leading by example, leading when you’re not playing well yourself, just small things," the Timberwolves coach declared.
Edwards is heading into his seventh NBA season, and he already has two Western Conference Finals runs on his resume. That experience gives him a clear sense of what Minnesota needs during the regular season and when the games get tighter in the postseason.
With Randle and Conley gone, Edwards and Rudy Gobert are expected to be the main voices Finch leans on. For Minnesota, the hope is simple: if Edwards can set the tone with his voice as well as his play, the Timberwolves may finally be closer to the championship chase they’ve been trying to finish.
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