AP/MINNEAPOLIS Throughout his more than four NBA seasons, Anthony Edwards has never shied away from voicing his opinions.
But after Wednesday night’s 115-104 loss to the Sacramento Kings, the Minnesota Timberwolves star was especially forthright in a foul-mouthed defense of his team’s recent difficulties.
According to Edwards, “I believe it’s as soft as (heck) as a team, internally.” We softened inside, but not to the opposing team. We are unable to communicate. Just a group of young children. As if we were playing with a group of young children. Everyone in the team. We simply aren’t able to communicate. And since we can’t continue in this direction, we must find a solution.
Minnesota made it to the Western Conference finals in 2024. However, after a 6-3 start to the season, the Timberwolves have since dropped seven of nine games including four straight. Even after a major offseason shakeup with the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, the lineup still appears jumbled at times.
That includes losing 117-111 at home to Houston in overtime the day after blowing a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter against Sacramento.
We look like frontrunners for sure tonight, Edwards said Wednesday. We was down, nobody wanted to say nothing. We got up and everybody (was) cheering and (hyped up). We get down again and don t nobody say nothing. That s the definition of a frontrunner. We as a team, including myself, we all was frontrunners tonight.
Everybody right now is on different agendas, he added. I think that s one of the main culprits of why we re losing.
Edwards, who led the Timberwolves with 29 points on 9-of-24 shooting, didn t only admonish his teammates after the game. More than once, he could be seen communicating demonstratively in the huddle with Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert and others.
Randle and guard Donte DiVincenzo were the top gets in the October trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York three weeks before the start of the season. Both have experienced up-and-down starts to their Twin Cities tenures.
Towns, meanwhile, hassettled in comfortablywith the Knicks.
Edwards said this isn t just about the new guys, though.
I m talking about the whole team, Edwards said. However many of us it is, all 15, we go into our own shell and we re just growing away from each other. It s obvious. We can see it. I can see it, the team can see it, the coaches can see it.
So can the fans, who voiced their collective displeasure more than once Wednesday night.
The fans (are) booing us, said Edwards, whose team is 8-10 heading into Friday s game against the Los Angeles Clippers. That (stuff) is crazy, man. We re getting booed in our home arena. That s so (freaking) disrespectful, it s crazy.
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