Souhan: Timberwolves thrive even when Anthony Edwards struggles offensively

If the Timberwolves are to advance to a second consecutive Western Conference finals, they will need Anthony Edwards to shoot like a star.

You would think.

You might be wrong.

While it is certainly possible that Edwards’ best will be needed for the Wolves to win, he hasn’t been at his best in the Wolves’ past two series-clinching victories, at least not offensively.

Thursday night against the Lakers in Los Angeles, the Wolves ended their first-round series in five games with a 103-96 victory. Edwards went 5-for-19 from the field, 0-for-11 from the three-point line and 5-for-8 from the free-throw line.

Edwards contributed 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals with zero turnovers and strong defense.

In Game 7 at Denver last year, Edwards went 6-for-24 from the field and 2-for-10 from the three-point line, scoring just 16 points. He contributed eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals with only one turnover, while helping the Wolves’ defense frustrate the Nuggets.

At 23, Edwards is a remarkably accomplished and talented player. He’s also unique for a player considered in the running to become the future face of the NBA, in that his signature victories have not featured big shotmaking, the defining aspect of so many legends’ careers.

“Certainly, we tell him to keep shooting it,” Wolves coach Chris Finch said. “All of the shots were good. He was pressing a little bit, he really wanted to see one go in. He’s got a lot of game. He’s not just a shooter. So, usually, in those moments, I’ll just tell him to get to other parts of his game, but certainly stay ready to knock down shots.

“But we don’t make too big a deal of it. Nobody shot the ball particularly well the other day and we were still able to win. So I think it’s a credit to our guys, that they can do other things to win games.”

What happens to the Wolves’ ceiling and Edwards’ status if he becomes reliable offensively, especially in big games?

He began his playoff career by scoring 36 points at the age of 20 at Memphis. He has scored 40 or more points five times in a playoff game, including in Game 4 against the Lakers.

His offensive brilliance is on tap. What if it flows constantly?

“We know he’s making the right plays,” Wolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker said. “And his spirit and his energy never dropped, and that’s who he is. That’s something that he does night in and night out. No matter what, he’s going to be himself.

“He knows, yeah, `I went 0-for-11.’ One thing that I can appreciate about it is that he’ll be the first one to tell you, `Man, I was terrible. I was terrible,’ and he’s OK with it. I think that’s huge, because a lot of people have ego, but an ego to where, if they don’t play well, they want to point fingers, they want to blame. He knows that he’s still going to be Ant Man, the superstar, the All-Star, so it doesn’t make a difference. And we saw that in Game 5. He just kept making the right plays.”

Most important for this team, Edwards found a way to play well alongside Julius Randle, another ball-dominant scorer. The Wolves are 21-5 since Randle returned from injury, having spent his down time studying how to complement Edwards.

“They are putting two on the ball to get it out of his hands,” Randle said of the defensive play against Edwards. “We talk about it, but it’s more of an understanding of what the game is calling for, and how to best help him. I mean, he just makes the game so easy for us because he pulls in so much gravity, so much attention.

“I said it from the beginning, he has a chance to be one of the greatest players to touch a basketball. So it’s like, `How can I help maximize his talent and make the game easier for him?’ ”