Charles Barkley: ‘Don’t try to make Anthony Edwards the face of the NBA’

It’s an elimination game Wednesday night for the Timberwolves.

Is it also a reputation game for their 23-year-old star, Anthony Edwards?

That depends on whom you ask. But if you choose outspoken TNT commentator Charles Barkley, the answer appears to be “yes.”

On Tuesday during the Eastern Conference finals, he had this to say about Edwards and how ESPN (which is carrying the Western Conference finals) is building him up.

“Hey, ESPN, I love you guys. Don’t try to make Anthony Edwards the face of the NBA,” Barkley said. “The face of the NBA is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Joker [Nikola Jokic] and Giannis [Antetokounmpo]. You can’t give it to people, they have to take it. And Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is taking it.”

That’s big-time company, considering those three players have combined to win six of the last seven NBA MVP awards. It would be foolish to suggest Edwards is on that level, and he shouldn’t be, considering he is three years younger than Gilgeous-Alexander and seven years younger than the other two.

But stars make their reputations in the playoffs. Barkley, who chased an elusive NBA title but never won it, knows that as well as anyone.

That’s perhaps a better question than whether he is on the level of those MVPs, and it’s one of five things to watch Wednesday.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points in the Thunder’s critical Game 4 win at Target Center, while Edwards had just 16. More than the raw output, Edwards was passive in the first half (just two field-goal attempts) and lacked a certain edge on defense.

The Wolves still scored 126 points, and Edwards postgame defended his performance by asserting, “I made the right play all night.”

Sure, but Tyrese Haliburton made the right play all night Tuesday and recorded a triple-double that included 32 points for the Pacers in a critical victory. Jalen Brunson is averaging 33.3 points for the Knicks through four games even as they’ve fallen into a 3-1 hole.

Edwards is younger than all three of those stars. But he has had two low-wattage performances in this series, Game 1 and Game 4 losses in which he was held to 34 combined points on 5-for-13 shooting each night.

Minnesota almost certainly won’t get 64 points from its reserves again Wednesday as it did Monday. Edwards will need to hit contested shots and play with a greater sense of purpose.

Otherwise, the Wolves’ season will end while the conversation about his place in the NBA hierarchy continues.

Responding to adversity has been one of Minnesota’s best traits this season, whether in key moments of its season or in individual games.

In danger of being a play-in team and perhaps missing the playoffs entirely, the Wolves went 17-4 down the stretch of the regular season. Trailing by 24 points to Oklahoma City in the fourth quarter of a February regular-season game, the Wolves rallied to win.

They will need to summon all of that resolve to win Game 5, given that Oklahoma City is a heavy favorite to win Wednesday and the Thunder have zero interest in returning to Minneapolis for a Game 6.

As much as a lack of scoring from Edwards and Julius Randle plus defensive shortcomings played considerable roles in Monday’s 128-126 loss, turnovers told a huge part of the story as well.

The Wolves turned the ball over 23 times (five each by Edwards and Randle), a stat that helped the Thunder attempt 11 more field goals than the Wolves.

For the series, Minnesota has turned it over 66 times compared to 52 for OKC. Taking care of the ball is essential Wednesday in keeping the game close and preventing fast-break opportunities, on which the Thunder thrive.

Games 3 and 4 at home called for an offensive spark for the Wolves, one that was supplied by rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. On Wednesday, defense might be a bigger priority if the Wolves want to win. Jaylen Clark, who had success guarding Gilgeous-Alexander this season but has played sparingly in the series, is an option head coach Chris Finch needs to strongly consider.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s 40 points and near triple-double took most of the Game 4 headlines, but Jalen Williams’ 34 points (on 13-for-24 shooting, including 6-for-9 from deep) provided the X factor. The Wolves need to be able to swarm Gilgeous-Alexander while not forgetting about Williams. It’s a lot to ask, but they almost certainly won’t survive to play another game if both of those players are allowed the space they had in Game 4.