Edwards and Wolves prepared to turn the tide on inconsistent season
MINNEAPOLIS — Anthony Edwards noticed the applause Kevin Garnett was receiving from the Minnesota audience and quickly made his way across the court for a pregame embrace, as the Hall of Fame forward and Timberwolves legend enjoyed his enthusiastic reception from the fans last week.
Edwards drew considerable motivation from Garnett’s first return to Target Center in eight years, occurring at the conclusion of a rather lackluster regular season for the team overall.
“He’s the greatest Timberwolf of all time,” Edwards remarked after practice on Wednesday. “It was significant for us to have him back in the building, and hopefully we can bring him back for the playoffs to provide us with some energy.”
Having reached the Western Conference finals in the past two years, the Timberwolves will carry a wealth of confidence and experience into the upcoming NBA playoffs starting on Saturday in Denver. However, they will need to demonstrate a notable revitalization from their mediocre performance over the last three months.
“We understand the team we can be and who we have been. It’s about whether we can sustain that,” coach Chris Finch stated. “You never want to be a team that relies on flipping a switch, but we do have a switch to activate, and we need to do that now. When we accomplish this, everyone tends to become the best version of themselves, which fosters the continuity and connection we require.”
Just as Garnett energized the Timberwolves teams of a previous era, culminating in their Western Conference finals appearance in 2004, the driving force of the current squad is centered around Edwards.
The four-time All-Star guard, who has played a key role in leading Minnesota to the playoffs in five of his six NBA seasons, has also been part of the issue this year during certain lapses in the team’s focus and morale.
“At times, it felt like we were merely trying to get through the season to reach the playoffs, but we’re here now, and all the other excuses are gone,” said Edwards, who averaged 28.8 points per game in 2025-26 on 48.9% shooting, including 39.9% from beyond the arc, all career highs.
Minnesota’s most significant decline this season was on the defensive end, finishing eighth in the league in defensive rating after ranking sixth in 2024-25 and first in 2023-24. This inconsistent focus and spirit undoubtedly had the most detrimental impact on their performance in this area.
“When our group is left with no choice, it usually becomes evident, and so once again, it’s all in our hands. It’s all within our control,” center Rudy Gobert stated. “We’re up against a formidable opponent, and we recognize that if we don’t come out with hunger, we won’t stand a chance.”
Edwards, for his part, will be well-rested. He played a career-low 61 games this season, missing eight of the last 11 games due to ongoing knee discomfort. However, he mentioned on Wednesday that he utilized the time to reduce body fat and lower his weight to 218 pounds, his lightest since he was 18.
“I haven’t played much in the last month,” Edwards noted, “so I’m working on getting back into shape.”
