Minnesota Sports Forum

https://twitter.com/KyleTheige/status/1630807573577494528?s=20

I watched the recording of the Wolves last game against the Clippers. Jamal Crawford and Candace Parker were effusive in praising Edwards. Among other things, they both praised Ant's leadership and pointed to the fact that, even though he didn't shoot well, he impacted the game in other ways. In what I would consider the most telling comment, Candace Parker said about Ant, "he was the way they played." Her point was that this is Ant's team and when you look beyond individual stats, Ant was ultimately more responsible than any other T-Wolf player for the win against the Clippers.

The tweet above provides another example of what is emerging as Ant's leadership at the tender age of 21.

lipoli390 wrote:https://twitter.com/KyleTheige/status/1630807573577494528?s=20

I watched the recording of the Wolves last game against the Clippers. Jamal Crawford and Candace Parker were effusive in praising Edwards. Among other things, they both praised Ant's leadership and pointed to the fact that, even though he didn't shoot well, he impacted the game in other ways. In what I would consider the most telling comment, Candace Parker said about Ant, "he was the way they played." Her point was that this is Ant's team and when you look beyond individual stats, Ant was ultimately more responsible than any other T-Wolf player for the win against the Clippers.

The tweet above provides another example of what is emerging as Ant's leadership at the tender age of 21.

And Shaq was also effusive pre-game. What a great story about Ant's role in Jaden's big shot...confidence from your teammates can be a big factor in your own confidence. Way to go, Ant!

The clip also shows why I am such a big Conley fan. Teammates used to rave about Rubio's ability to deliver the ball in exactly the right place and time to optimize their chances of making a shot, and Conley has the same skill. Note how he knows Jaden is in the corner and open without looking, and how he delivers the ball quickly and chest high so Jaden had no adjustments to make. Great clip!

I'm still on Cloud 9 about the last game. At a critical juncture of the season, we beat a team with three almost sure future Hall of Famers (with one admittedly past his peak) that also really needed a win on their home court. And we did it missing KAT and with Ant having a poor shooting night and not protecting the ball well. Our offense is struggling, but you always have a chance to win when you play defense like we did that night.

Some random post-game thoughts about Ant is his ankle could torpedo our season:

1) Ant is one of the most resilient players in the Association, and he said briefly post-game that he was "fine".

2) Finchie said it was a good sign Ant was in a boot post-game. Better than crutches, I guess?

3) If he is out a few games, the final three quarters showed us we will see an entirely different kind of offense. All ball movement and little one-on-one (at least until KAT returns). Conley says he will have to step up offensively, and Jaden will have to also.

Something to ponder for when Ant comes back. Ant made a rare corner three last night. Only 8% of his 3-point attempts are from the corners, but he makes over 45% of them this season. It's incumbent upon Finchie and Conley (and Ant) to change this when he returns.

Ant may not be at Garnett’s level yet but Im ready to double down on him being the the greatest thing to happen to this franchise. Sure its the Timberwolves and our management could find a way to screw it up but he’s amazing at 21. Talent, personality, competitive drive, hes got it all. Definitely has flaws in the x’s and o’s but each year is making strides. Losing badly in the playoffs to an MVP is only going to be further motivation for him. It will be a dark day for me if he ever leaves and I dont know I would stick out another rebuild but for now I am enjoying the ride. I think they’re ready to give the keys to him and Jaden. Some of the vets can stick around for a bit, but anyone who doesnt see this is completely Ants team can go. Everything needs to be about continuing to build around him.

Raise your hand if you wish they'd bring Rosas back!