Yes, Karl Anthony Towns is the Timberwolves best player and the guy the team is built around right now. But we all know that the other Anthony - Anthony Edwards - is the main key to the future of this franchise. He's the only guy on this roster who can become an superstar and put the team on his back. He's definitely the team's best interview and it's not even close.
So I thought I'd start a thread for comments devoted solely to Anthony Edwards this season. So far after two preseason games he's been a disappointment on the offensive end, but a pleasant surprise on the defensive side of the ball. And one thing for sure is that he has NOT been a disappointment as the team's top interview.
https://twitter.com/Timberwolves/status/1446499526550986752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1446499526550986752%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Fminnesota-timberwolves
Anthony Edwards Watch
Re: Anthony Edwards Watch
And how about Anthony Edwards on the Court so far this preseason:
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1446662087376179204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1446662087376179204%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Fminnesota-timberwolves
We're all aware of Ant's ability to explode off the floor, rise high and power down dunks. But this next highlight is why he can eventually become a great offensive player:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiN9qriyb3zAhW6mmoFHfpbAqQQwqsBegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fvideo%2Fclip%3Fid%3D32364017%26ex_cid%3Despnapi_internal&usg=AOvVaw0JSTK0LaNa3BDvSX26jlJV
In this last highlight, your see Ant's quality ball-handling, body control, high basketball IQ and skill/finesse in the paint. You rarely see those qualities in a player with Ant's combination of positional size and athleticism.
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1446662087376179204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1446662087376179204%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Fminnesota-timberwolves
We're all aware of Ant's ability to explode off the floor, rise high and power down dunks. But this next highlight is why he can eventually become a great offensive player:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiN9qriyb3zAhW6mmoFHfpbAqQQwqsBegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.espn.com%2Fvideo%2Fclip%3Fid%3D32364017%26ex_cid%3Despnapi_internal&usg=AOvVaw0JSTK0LaNa3BDvSX26jlJV
In this last highlight, your see Ant's quality ball-handling, body control, high basketball IQ and skill/finesse in the paint. You rarely see those qualities in a player with Ant's combination of positional size and athleticism.
Re: Anthony Edwards Watch
NBA GMS BELIEVE EDWARDS LIKELY TO HAVE BREAKOUT SEASON
by Shahbaz Khan
Posted: Oct 08, 2021
If his first preseason game was any indication, one of the Association's most exciting young prospects, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, is poised to have another great season.
Judging from NBA.com's 20th annual General Manager survey, the League's decision makers seem to think the same.
Edwards was selected as the second-most likely candidate to have a breakout season in 2021-22 by League front office leaders.
No. 1 captured 13% of the GM vote, just behind Memphis' Jaren Jackson Jr. who received 17% of the vote.
Edwards also landed third amongst voting for the NBA's most athletic player, behind New Orleans' Zion Williamson and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The 2020 No. 1 Draft selection continue to turn heads and gain praise, most recently from Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, who believes Edwards' abilities on the defensive end are shining as much as his offensive game.
by Shahbaz Khan
Posted: Oct 08, 2021
If his first preseason game was any indication, one of the Association's most exciting young prospects, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, is poised to have another great season.
Judging from NBA.com's 20th annual General Manager survey, the League's decision makers seem to think the same.
Edwards was selected as the second-most likely candidate to have a breakout season in 2021-22 by League front office leaders.
No. 1 captured 13% of the GM vote, just behind Memphis' Jaren Jackson Jr. who received 17% of the vote.
Edwards also landed third amongst voting for the NBA's most athletic player, behind New Orleans' Zion Williamson and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The 2020 No. 1 Draft selection continue to turn heads and gain praise, most recently from Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, who believes Edwards' abilities on the defensive end are shining as much as his offensive game.
Re: Anthony Edwards Watch
Crazy to think a year ago most teams and fans did not want the number one pick to have to choose between Edwards, Ball, and Wiseman. I waffled a bit between them but always came back to Edwards skill set. He has the tools that Alphas are built with. I'm glad pRosas saw that.
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Camden [enjin:6601484]
- Posts: 18065
- Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:00 am
Re: Anthony Edwards Watch
Phenom's_Revenge wrote:Crazy to think a year ago most teams and fans did not want the number one pick to have to choose between Edwards, Ball, and Wiseman. I waffled a bit between them but always came back to Edwards skill set. He has the tools that Alphas are built with. I'm glad pRosas saw that.
In their defense, and to Anthony Edwards' credit, he doesn't have the same immature and concerning mindset that it appeared he had at Georgia. The player he was at Georgia didn't try on defense nor did he show that he was interested in consistently attacking the rim. The first half of last year is exactly what people feared of Edwards. Obviously, him taking the game more seriously undoubtedly made him a much better player. It's been a treat to watch.
Re: Anthony Edwards Watch
Camden wrote:Phenom's_Revenge wrote:Crazy to think a year ago most teams and fans did not want the number one pick to have to choose between Edwards, Ball, and Wiseman. I waffled a bit between them but always came back to Edwards skill set. He has the tools that Alphas are built with. I'm glad pRosas saw that.
In their defense, and to Anthony Edwards' credit, he doesn't have the same immature and concerning mindset that it appeared he had at Georgia. The player he was at Georgia didn't try on defense nor did he show that he was interested in consistently attacking the rim. The first half of last year is exactly what people feared of Edwards. Obviously, him taking the game more seriously undoubtedly made him a much better player. It's been a treat to watch.
I think you nailed it Cam. But I'll add that there were signs in college that, unlike Wiggins, Edwards would eventually care and do what he's been doing since the second half of last season. He often showed a high level of exuberance, effort and competitiveness in college - primarily on the offensive end. So you could see the heart was there; it just needed to be more consistent and focused more broadly to include attacking the basket on the offensive end and playing defense. It bears repeating that he was one of the youngest players in his draft class - even young for a freshman. It's definitely fun to watch him mature and blossom before our eyes in a Timberwolves uniform.
Re: Anthony Edwards Watch
Anthony Edwards sat in the back row for the last part of Finch's press conference. He congratulated Finch on answering the questions well.
I don't know how good Ant is going to be, but I do know he is always going to be entertaining!
I don't know how good Ant is going to be, but I do know he is always going to be entertaining!
Re: Anthony Edwards Watch
If you don't subscribe to The Athletic, you should. If you do subscribe, you should read Jon K's article on Anthony Edwards. Here are some excerpts:
How do you underestimate a 6-foot-6, 220-pound marvel who has been jumping over everyone put in front of him since he was 7? By letting the dunks and the jokes distract from the emotional intelligence and drive it takes to pick up the pieces after losing his mother and grandmother at the age of 14, endure an hour-plus commute each way to a demanding private school on the other side of town and to keep coming back, day after day, even when the exhaustion of school and training seemed to have taken everything out of him.
"A lot of times his smarts definitely get overshadowed by his personality," said Justin Holland, Edwards' trainer. "He has one of those personalities that brightens up every room that he walks in. But people don't really realize that a lot of the reason that he's the player that he is is because of his understanding for the game and how he processes things."
It's one thing to be able to jump over a 6-foot-9 forward who thinks it wise to challenge him at the rim. That, like his colorful interviews, is fun. What sets him apart, what makes people think that this one really could be different, is the way he dissects a pick-and-roll in real time to break a defense. It's the way he not only sees how much improvement he needs to make defensively but also how he absorbs the coaching to make that happen. It's the way he recognizes when a teammate, or a teacher, is backed up against a wall and needs his help.
"I often told him whenever you get to the other side of this and make it to the NBA, you are going to have the most amazing story," said Rachel Little, an academic advisor for Edwards at Holy Spirit Preparatory School. "Kids that have the background like you are not going to get the kind of ending you are going to get most of the time. People are going to love you."
That he even made it this far after everything he has gone through is a story of perseverance, long rides and a support system that pushed him to understand what was possible. And here he stands, with a smile on his face and a franchise on his shoulders, and the maturity to understand what is at stake.
"It wasn't easy, man," said Drew Banks, a family friend who took Edwards in for the final two years of high school. "The easy part is now. He's there and has to maintain and keep producing. But the struggle to get to where he is now from where he was, that's what people don't understand. It don't make me mad, but people should understand how hard it was."
How do you underestimate a 6-foot-6, 220-pound marvel who has been jumping over everyone put in front of him since he was 7? By letting the dunks and the jokes distract from the emotional intelligence and drive it takes to pick up the pieces after losing his mother and grandmother at the age of 14, endure an hour-plus commute each way to a demanding private school on the other side of town and to keep coming back, day after day, even when the exhaustion of school and training seemed to have taken everything out of him.
"A lot of times his smarts definitely get overshadowed by his personality," said Justin Holland, Edwards' trainer. "He has one of those personalities that brightens up every room that he walks in. But people don't really realize that a lot of the reason that he's the player that he is is because of his understanding for the game and how he processes things."
It's one thing to be able to jump over a 6-foot-9 forward who thinks it wise to challenge him at the rim. That, like his colorful interviews, is fun. What sets him apart, what makes people think that this one really could be different, is the way he dissects a pick-and-roll in real time to break a defense. It's the way he not only sees how much improvement he needs to make defensively but also how he absorbs the coaching to make that happen. It's the way he recognizes when a teammate, or a teacher, is backed up against a wall and needs his help.
"I often told him whenever you get to the other side of this and make it to the NBA, you are going to have the most amazing story," said Rachel Little, an academic advisor for Edwards at Holy Spirit Preparatory School. "Kids that have the background like you are not going to get the kind of ending you are going to get most of the time. People are going to love you."
That he even made it this far after everything he has gone through is a story of perseverance, long rides and a support system that pushed him to understand what was possible. And here he stands, with a smile on his face and a franchise on his shoulders, and the maturity to understand what is at stake.
"It wasn't easy, man," said Drew Banks, a family friend who took Edwards in for the final two years of high school. "The easy part is now. He's there and has to maintain and keep producing. But the struggle to get to where he is now from where he was, that's what people don't understand. It don't make me mad, but people should understand how hard it was."
Re: Anthony Edwards Watch
Some more excerpts from Jon K's recent article on Ant about his experience after transferring to a private high school two hours from his home:
Edwards transferred from public school to Holy Spirit in part for basketball, but also to get his academics in order after losing his mother, Yvette, and his grandmother Shirley to cancer just months apart when he was 14.
Holy Spirit boasts students from all over the globe, can charge nearly $25,000 per year for those who do not qualify for tuition assistance and still has a highlight of Edwards dunking as part of the video that runs at the top of its homepage.
Little was the school's director of student success at the time, charged with helping students transition to the intensive curriculum and expectations. For a child with no parents at home and coming from one of the poorest areas of the city, being thrust into that setting can be jarring.
"For some kids that's not a huge gap in terms of that extra support that they need," Little said. "But for Anthony, sometimes it was a bigger gap than the average kid."
His academic standing when he arrived had him on a path to graduate in 2020, but it wasn't long after he was there that he set his sights on reclassifying to the class of 2019. Edwards wanted to be a McDonald's All-American with the friends he had grown up playing AAU ball with and wanted to qualify for college, which was his stepping stone to the NBA. So Little helped him go to work to make that happen.
Edwards took extra classes during the school day and online classes to catch up, excelling in math and science.
"He did not get an ounce of special treatment in terms of flexibility with schedules and that kind of stuff," Little said. "He was held to the same standards that all the other kids were."
The only class that really gave him trouble, Edwards says now, was U.S. History. But there was just something about math that appealed to him. There was no ambiguity between right and wrong. The answers were right there to be had, right in front of his face. He just had to figure out how to get there.
"I just like numbers, how they work together," Edwards said. "I just understood it."
Little watched as Edwards navigated the tricky path of academia. He knew that if he wanted to stay eligible to practice and play basketball, he had to get the grades. He knew that if he wanted to get to college as soon as possible, he had to put in the extra work. The goals were set. The path was clear, and he plowed forward.
"He easily could've been a 4.0, straight-A student if he wanted to," Little said, "if he didn't have a trainer at 5 a.m. and a team practice at school at 7 a.m. and practice after school and another workout at like 10."
Edwards beamed when he heard that, and the trademark bravado that put him on the map last season starts to flow from him like a bar on a Young Thug track.
"I was so tired, man," Edwards said. "Basketball in the morning, basketball at night. I was just tired. But if I didn't have basketball, I would've been a scholar for sure."
Like he did with everything else in life, Edwards smiled his way through it. But there was an hour during every school day where "Miss Little," as Edwards called her, could see the weight he was carrying on his shoulders.
Edwards would visit her classroom during lunch, pick out a spot of carpet near her desk, lay down, pull his arms into his hoodie and fall fast asleep.
"No pillow. He'd just be on the floor and have his laptop open in front of him and he would lay on the floor in his dress pants and be dead asleep," Little said. "Dead asleep. It was not easy, by any means."
"Most of the time I had a little blanket or something and took a nap on the floor," he said. "I had my alarm set so I was up in time for the next period. I'd go lights out and wake up and I'm ready to go for the rest of the day."
Edwards transferred from public school to Holy Spirit in part for basketball, but also to get his academics in order after losing his mother, Yvette, and his grandmother Shirley to cancer just months apart when he was 14.
Holy Spirit boasts students from all over the globe, can charge nearly $25,000 per year for those who do not qualify for tuition assistance and still has a highlight of Edwards dunking as part of the video that runs at the top of its homepage.
Little was the school's director of student success at the time, charged with helping students transition to the intensive curriculum and expectations. For a child with no parents at home and coming from one of the poorest areas of the city, being thrust into that setting can be jarring.
"For some kids that's not a huge gap in terms of that extra support that they need," Little said. "But for Anthony, sometimes it was a bigger gap than the average kid."
His academic standing when he arrived had him on a path to graduate in 2020, but it wasn't long after he was there that he set his sights on reclassifying to the class of 2019. Edwards wanted to be a McDonald's All-American with the friends he had grown up playing AAU ball with and wanted to qualify for college, which was his stepping stone to the NBA. So Little helped him go to work to make that happen.
Edwards took extra classes during the school day and online classes to catch up, excelling in math and science.
"He did not get an ounce of special treatment in terms of flexibility with schedules and that kind of stuff," Little said. "He was held to the same standards that all the other kids were."
The only class that really gave him trouble, Edwards says now, was U.S. History. But there was just something about math that appealed to him. There was no ambiguity between right and wrong. The answers were right there to be had, right in front of his face. He just had to figure out how to get there.
"I just like numbers, how they work together," Edwards said. "I just understood it."
Little watched as Edwards navigated the tricky path of academia. He knew that if he wanted to stay eligible to practice and play basketball, he had to get the grades. He knew that if he wanted to get to college as soon as possible, he had to put in the extra work. The goals were set. The path was clear, and he plowed forward.
"He easily could've been a 4.0, straight-A student if he wanted to," Little said, "if he didn't have a trainer at 5 a.m. and a team practice at school at 7 a.m. and practice after school and another workout at like 10."
Edwards beamed when he heard that, and the trademark bravado that put him on the map last season starts to flow from him like a bar on a Young Thug track.
"I was so tired, man," Edwards said. "Basketball in the morning, basketball at night. I was just tired. But if I didn't have basketball, I would've been a scholar for sure."
Like he did with everything else in life, Edwards smiled his way through it. But there was an hour during every school day where "Miss Little," as Edwards called her, could see the weight he was carrying on his shoulders.
Edwards would visit her classroom during lunch, pick out a spot of carpet near her desk, lay down, pull his arms into his hoodie and fall fast asleep.
"No pillow. He'd just be on the floor and have his laptop open in front of him and he would lay on the floor in his dress pants and be dead asleep," Little said. "Dead asleep. It was not easy, by any means."
"Most of the time I had a little blanket or something and took a nap on the floor," he said. "I had my alarm set so I was up in time for the next period. I'd go lights out and wake up and I'm ready to go for the rest of the day."
Re: Anthony Edwards Watch
Here's my favorite excerpt from the article. It shows an emotional intelligence and a serious, highly mature side of Edwards, even as a high school student, that's hidden a bit by his boyish nature and sense of humor:
The book smarts were impressive enough for Little, but what really endeared Edwards to her was the way he could sense when she was having a bad day. While Edwards was there, Little hosted two basketball players from Eastern Europe. Edwards and the youngest became close friends, and there was a period of time when the youngster and Little were butting heads at home. When the issues abated, Little asked the boy what changed.
"Ant just sat me down and he told me I was being stupid and you're just trying to help me," the boy told her. "So I just stopped being a jerk."
The book smarts were impressive enough for Little, but what really endeared Edwards to her was the way he could sense when she was having a bad day. While Edwards was there, Little hosted two basketball players from Eastern Europe. Edwards and the youngest became close friends, and there was a period of time when the youngster and Little were butting heads at home. When the issues abated, Little asked the boy what changed.
"Ant just sat me down and he told me I was being stupid and you're just trying to help me," the boy told her. "So I just stopped being a jerk."