NBA Exec Says 'It's Hard to Have Confidence' in Anthony Edwards, T-Wolves in Playoffs
As Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves attempt to secure a spot in the 2025 NBA playoffs, there's belief that the team may not be able to go on a deep postseason run.
"It's hard to have confidence in them," a league executive told ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst. "They're a younger team, they're immature at times. Ant is brash and arrogant when it's going well and moody when it's not. Rudy has been a difference-maker since coming back from the back injury. There's a lot of unknowns. How much will they trust Randle? How durable is Conley? But they could get hot."
The Timberwolves are looking to clinch their fourth consecutive playoff appearance and are coming off a trip to the Western Conference Finals last season.
They currently sit at No. 8 in the crowded Western Conference standings with a 47-33 record, but they're only one game behind the Denver Nuggets at No. 4.
Edwards is in the midst of another strong individual year, averaging a career-high 27.6 points to go along with 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. He's also developed his long-range shooting, connecting on 39.7 percent of his triples while attempting 10.2 shots from behind the arc on a nightly basis.
The three-time All-Star has been known to voice his frustration when the team has struggled, telling reporters on Jan. 2 that it was "super hard" to stay engaged when facing double teams.
There's also some uncertainty surrounding Julius Randle's playoff outlook. Randle has been efficient throughout his first year in Minnesota while averaging 18.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, but his postseason history isn't promising.
The power forward owns 34.4/28.3/75.6 shooting splits throughout 15 career playoff games.
Mike Conley has remained a steady lead guard while on the floor, but he's also been utilized less as he closes out his 18th season in the NBA. The 37-year-old has averaged career-low marks in minutes (25.0) and points per game (8.4) this year.
Still, the Timberwolves have stepped up down the stretch of the regular season and could carry their momentum into a potential playoff series. They've compiled a record of 15-4 over their past 19 games, owning the No. 3 net rating in the association over that stretch (via NBA.com).
There's some skepticism that Minnesota can continue to perform at a high level in a postseason setting, though.
