Anthony Edwards and State of the Wolves

[FNG]

My biggest issue with Ant, and coincidentally one of the biggest reasons for his enormously high ceiling, is his passing. The issue is twofold: vision, and delivery. First, vision: Ant draws so many double and triple teams, there are almost always open teammates when he has the ball. Sometimes he finds them, and that is why his assist totals are building (9 in the last game, I think). But I also think defenses believe they can blitz him with impunity, because the risk of him scoring is much higher than the risk of him creating an easy assist (like Luka or Kyrie). So often I see a good-shooting teammate wide open as Ant is doubled, but the pass doesn't get made.

The second issue is how he delivers the ball. Ant has a scorer's mentality, and sometimes it seems he passes out of frustration (i.e. he sees a scoring opportunity is not there) just to get rid of the ball, rather than delivering the ball in a position where his teammate can get off a timely shot. This happens a lot with passes to KAT. KAT is open in one of his preferred spots, and rather than delivering a crisp chest-high pass, Ant throws one that KAT (or someone else) has to adjust to. NBA defenders are quick to the ball, and just a one second delay turns an open shot into a contested one. Contrast how SloMo or Conley deliver the ball to how Ant does, and you will see what I mean. I'm not giving KAT a "pass" on his poor performance this series at all, but I do think a couple perfectly delivered passes early in tonight's game might be the key to kick starting KAT- and also to putting Ant on the path to becoming a truly elite player.

[Q-is-here]

My biggest issue with Ant, and coincidentally one of the biggest reasons for his enormously high ceiling, is his passing. The issue is twofold: vision, and delivery. First, vision: Ant draws so many double and triple teams, there are almost always open teammates when he has the ball. Sometimes he finds them, and that is why his assist totals are building (9 in the last game, I think). But I also think defenses believe they can blitz him with impunity, because the risk of him scoring is much higher than the risk of him creating an easy assist (like Luka or Kyrie). So often I see a good-shooting teammate wide open as Ant is doubled, but the pass doesn't get made.

The second issue is how he delivers the ball. Ant has a scorer's mentality, and sometimes it seems he passes out of frustration (i.e. he sees a scoring opportunity is not there) just to get rid of the ball, rather than delivering the ball in a position where his teammate can get off a timely shot. This happens a lot with passes to KAT. KAT is open in one of his preferred spots, and rather than delivering a crisp chest-high pass, Ant throws one that KAT (or someone else) has to adjust to. NBA defenders are quick to the ball, and just a one second delay turns an open shot into a contested one. Contrast how SloMo or Conley deliver the ball to how Ant does, and you will see what I mean. I'm not giving KAT a "pass" on his poor performance this series at all, but I do think a couple perfectly delivered passes early in tonight's game might be the key to kick starting KAT- and also to putting Ant on the path to becoming a truly elite player.

I think after seeing what we thought was "the leap" to superstardom in the Phoenix and Denver series, Ant has regressed and shown some of the warts we saw in the regular season - poor off ball defense at times, fatigued legs, inaccurate passes, bad decisions in crunch time.

Ant will need to go the Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant route to stardom - pure scorers that didn't make their living as pick and roll wizardry, but gradually got better at finding open team mates and delivering crisp passes. So yeah, him improving at the passes he already makes on a regular basis and further optimizing could go a long ways to helping those around him get cleaner looks.

[AbeVigodaLive]

My biggest issue with Ant, and coincidentally one of the biggest reasons for his enormously high ceiling, is his passing. The issue is twofold: vision, and delivery. First, vision: Ant draws so many double and triple teams, there are almost always open teammates when he has the ball. Sometimes he finds them, and that is why his assist totals are building (9 in the last game, I think). But I also think defenses believe they can blitz him with impunity, because the risk of him scoring is much higher than the risk of him creating an easy assist (like Luka or Kyrie). So often I see a good-shooting teammate wide open as Ant is doubled, but the pass doesn't get made.

The second issue is how he delivers the ball. Ant has a scorer's mentality, and sometimes it seems he passes out of frustration (i.e. he sees a scoring opportunity is not there) just to get rid of the ball, rather than delivering the ball in a position where his teammate can get off a timely shot. This happens a lot with passes to KAT. KAT is open in one of his preferred spots, and rather than delivering a crisp chest-high pass, Ant throws one that KAT (or someone else) has to adjust to. NBA defenders are quick to the ball, and just a one second delay turns an open shot into a contested one. Contrast how SloMo or Conley deliver the ball to how Ant does, and you will see what I mean. I'm not giving KAT a "pass" on his poor performance this series at all, but I do think a couple perfectly delivered passes early in tonight's game might be the key to kick starting KAT- and also to putting Ant on the path to becoming a truly elite player.

Good call on the passes. It's mentioned occasionally during a broadcast... usually when a player makes a pass perfectly in the sweet spot of a shooter.

But you can really see it at times with this Wolves team (and many other teams). Passes are just slightly off. That doesn't mean they're bad passes... but shooting in rhythm does impact percentages. And sometimes it means an open shot vs. a head fake and something else.

[FNG]

Further re: Ant's passing, Dane Moore made a good point on his podcast yesterday. While talking about how Dallas has been killing us with their lobs, he pointed out that Ant hasn't yet developed the lob pass...even though he has an elite target in Rudy. Conley has tried to drive the lane to set up the lob to Rudy this series, but Dallas isn't reacting to it, so instead Conley has to shoot the floater. In contrast, the Wolves have to respect Luka and Kyrie's ability to score the basketball, and when Rudy jumps out on them, it leaves the dunker spot open. The only Wolves who demand the same respect are Ant and KAT, but only KAT has had some success on getting the lob to Rudy. Ant needs to develop the same mentality as Dallas's stars...that a nice lob assist can be more effective than scoring yourself. I think there is a 10 assist guy lurking inside Ant once he develops more of a facilitating mindset.

[Crazysauce]

By the way, for clarity, I don't think Finch has stalled out. I was implying from Lips post that since Malone and Kidd had both stalled out to being successful to playing for championships, that I think Finch has stalled out so..... inevitably we would be playing for a championship too just as Malone and possibly Kidd will be doing. That being said, wolves pull off the impossible and win in 7. LFG!

[kekgeek]

Apparently Ant boycotted the Inside the NBA on TNT because of the bullshit Draymond was saying about Kat and Rudy.

Ant is a good teammate man

[Yosimar]

Apparently Ant boycotted the Inside the NBA on TNT because of the bullshit Draymond was saying about Kat and Rudy.

Ant is a good teammate man

Love that why even go in there and pretend, he’s been ripping not even him but his teammates like Rudy/KAT with gleefulness.

I had been wondering about this for a while during the series and noticed no Wolves player was interviewed the other day after they won game 4. The crew talks after it’s over and after a commercial break or two. They’d interview a player from the winning team. Games 1/2 they had Irving and Doncic after his dagger over Rudy. Game 3 is was Gafford.

Was curious when the Wolves won and nobody from the team went up to talk to them. I love that man, if anything the only issue I have with it is he didn’t say yes and go call out Draymond in front of him and national for being a washed up joke who clearly has such disdain for Rudy.

[Wolvesfan21]

Apparently Ant boycotted the Inside the NBA on TNT because of the bullshit Draymond was saying about Kat and Rudy.

Ant is a good teammate man

Draymond is super washed and his opinions are weak. He's insecure so he lashes out. Honestly everyone thinks he's a tool and dumbass.

Also TNT isn't getting anymore NBA basketball (that is the rumor that they are getting outbid on the next TV contract) when this contract is up.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Apparently Ant boycotted the Inside the NBA on TNT because of the bullshit Draymond was saying about Kat and Rudy.

Ant is a good teammate man

Where'd we hear/see this?

I'd like to see this become a larger story... just because I suddenly don't care about the on-court stuff of the NBA right now.

And this is coming from a Celtics fan! This beating will take time to process.

[kekgeek]

Apparently Ant boycotted the Inside the NBA on TNT because of the bullshit Draymond was saying about Kat and Rudy.

Ant is a good teammate man

Where'd we hear/see this?

I'd like to see this become a larger story... just because I suddenly don't care about the on-court stuff of the NBA right now.

And this is coming from a Celtics fan! This beating will take time to process.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/553145 ... offseason/

“ Edwards was surrounded by a tight-knit team, one with such strong chemistry that it decided as a group that no player would appear on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” postgame show after their victory in Game 4 in Dallas, team sources told The Athletic. The decision was a sign of support for Gobert and Towns, who were the subject of derisive and seemingly personal criticism from panelist and Golden State forward Draymond Green.”