Success has never been associated with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Poor ownership and a lack of talent have caused their fan base to scratch their heads and question if success will ever come. Since the drafting of their star center Karl-Anthony Towns out of Kentucky with the first overall pick in 2015, there have been flashes of bright spots, but failure was still a common theme for them.
With a poor 2019-2020 season, the team won the lottery and had the fortunate opportunity to draft star shooting guard Anthony Edwards from Georgia. Not much has changed during the NBA’s shortened 20-21 COVID-19 season, posting a 23-49 record and causing fans to wonder if success would ever come. One bright spot this season was hiring head coach Chris Finch during February. His modern coaching style with fast paced basketball helped his young guard thrive and gave fans something to look forward to.
In April 2021, entrepreneurs Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lowe bought joint ownership of the franchise. The team now had talent and high aspirations from those around them; but a disappointing first round exit to the Memphis Grizzlies caused its fanbase to wonder if things would ever change.
In May of 2022, Tim Connelly, a successful general manager for the Denver Nuggets was signed as general manager of the front office. Soon after, a trade for all-star center and defensive guru Rudy Gobert was made. Many future assets were given up, but the fan base was proud that the team was pushing towards success. Critics wondered if this move would work out well, as we now had two 7-foot centers and this could cause spacing and other team issues. These critics were right, as the chemistry struggled and the star studded talent struggled, ending in a 42-40 record and first round exit to the Denver Nuggets.
The 2023-2024 season has started with a bang, with the 3 stars of Anthony Edwards. Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert collaborated together to make the team the #1 ranked defense in the league and the #1 seed in the Western Conference. As the season progressed, they gained increased media attention and championship aspirations. This has come as a surprise, as the Timberwolves franchise has struggled with its history, only making one Western Conference appearance in 2004.
Adversity struck Wednesday night, with news that center Towns suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee. He has had a successful season to this point, averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3 assists. His greatest asset to the team is his unique shooting ability, averaging 42.3 percent from beyond the arc and 39 percent in his career. With the best case scenario of Towns coming back in the early rounds of the playoffs, the team’s success now lies within its young star Anthony Edwards.
Edwards has had an exceptional year to this point, averaging 26, 5 and 5 from the floor. If the team wants to achieve its championship aspirations, Edwards needs to take the team on his back; and there’s no question that he is capable of doing that. Freshman Mason Beyer describes his skillset by stating, “Anthony Edwards for the past few years has brought fans in Minnesota nothing but pure joy and happiness. Watching him play is a crossbreed of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. The way he carries himself and attacks the task at hand lets us appreciate his greatness, solely because we know he gives it his all. Ant shall bring us to the promised land.”
When I watch Anthony Edwards, I see someone with confidence and leadership, applicable to the game’s greats. He obtains skills that can be alluded to by Michael Jordan’s athleticism and Kobe Bryant’s shooting ability. This was seen in the Timberwolves’ Thursday night contest against the Indiana Pacers, their first game without Towns. Edwards dominated the contest, leading the Timberwolves to a 113-111 close-fought victory. Edwards led all scorers with 44 points, shooting 51 percent from the field. The most memorable moment of this game was the last second block with Edward’s head hitting the backboard, sealing the game.
This season has given Minnesota Timberwolves fans championship hopes. With the recent injury to Karl-Anthony Towns, fans have questioned if this is too great a loss for the team. Their young guard is on the rise to stardom, and I have no doubt that he will be the guiding factor for our team and can lead us to our first championship.
