Anthony Edwards Requires Urgency as Wolves Enter Playoffs

After an inconsistent end to the common season, Anthony Edwards made it clear the time for excuses is over because the Minnesota Timberwolves prepares for its playoff opener.

“It felt like that at occasions, like we had been simply making an attempt to get via the season to get to the playoffs, however we’re right here now, and all the opposite excuses are out the window,” Edwards mentioned after apply.

That sense of urgency has been echoed all through the locker room, significantly by head coach Chris Finch, who believes his workforce nonetheless has one other stage to succeed in, however it has to occur instantly.

“We all know the workforce we could be and who we’ve been. It’s about whether or not we are able to keep that,” Finch mentioned. “You don’t ever actually need to be a flip-the-switch workforce, however we do have a swap to flip, and we’ve to flip it now. Once we try this, all people type of turns into the perfect model of themselves and that brings out that continuity and connection that we want.”

Regardless of back-to-back Western Convention finals appearances in recent times, the Timberwolves struggled to search out consistency over the previous three months, significantly on the defensive finish. As soon as the muse of their id, their defensive focus slipped this season, one thing the workforce is aware of should change shortly.

“When our group doesn’t have a alternative, often it reveals up, and so as soon as once more it’s all in our arms. It’s all in our energy,” Rudy Gobert mentioned. “We’re dealing with an ideal opponent, and we all know that if we don’t come out hungry, we don’t have an opportunity.”

There was additionally a reminder of the franchise normal final week, when Kevin Garnett returned to Goal Middle for the primary time in years. The second wasn’t misplaced on Edwards.

“He’s the best Timberwolf of all time,” Edwards mentioned. “That was massive for us, getting him again within the constructing, and hopefully we are able to get him again for the playoffs to offer us some vitality.”

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