Anthony Edwards Says No One 'Will Work Harder Than Me' After Wolves' NBA Playoff Exit
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards plans to "work my butt off this summer" in the wake of a second successive exit in the Western Conference Finals.
"Nobody's going to work harder than me this summer. I'll tell you that much," he told reporters after Minnesota's 124-94 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Edwards had a game to forget Wednesday, shooting 7-of-18 for 19 points and finishing with more turnovers (three) than assists (two).
For the series, the three-time All-Star averaged 23 points and 4.6 assists per game, which isn't bad production but not enough when his team was clearly overmatched by the top-seeded Thunder.
Despite whatever frustration he had in the moment, Edwards maintained a glass half full perspective about the bigger picture.
"I don't know why people would think it would hurt, it's exciting for me," he said. "I'm 23. I get to do it a whole bunch of times. I'm hurt more so for Mike. I came up short for Mike. We tried last year, we couldn't get it. We tried again this year. We'll try again next year. But hurt is a terrible word to use. I'm good."
Overcoming adversity is a staple of any hero's journey.
In the modern history of the NBA, only on rare occasions do legends reach the top of the sport early in their careers. Magic Johnson leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a title in his rookie year and Tim Duncan teaming with David Robinson to lift a championship in his second season are exceptions.
Michael Jordan was in his seventh season when he won the first of his six titles. LeBron James was in Year 9 when he finally triumphed in the NBA Finals. Kevin Durant was in his his 10th year. For Shaquille O'Neal, Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo, they had to wait until their eighth season.
Success is never guaranteed. As confident as he is that he'll have a "whole bunch of times" to get over the hump, Edwards doesn't know the future.
The way in which they were comprehensively beaten by Oklahoma City also raises some questions about the Timberwolves' ceiling with their current core. When Rudy Gobert is signed through 2026-27 and Julius Randle is potentially headed toward a massive contract, improving the roster won't be easy.
One thing is at least clear. For as talented as he is, Edwards still has some room to grow, and he's well aware he needs to keep putting in the effort in the offseason to improve on the court.
