How Anthony Edwards is finding his voice as a leader

Chris Hine, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Dec 7, 2024

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SAN FRANCISCO – Minnesota Timberwolves fans got an up-close look at the emergence of “Anthony Edwards: vocal leader” when the Wolves lost to the Kings just before Thanksgiving.

Edwards sat back in his chair at his locker and spoke for nearly 10 minutes that night about what he thought was wrong with the team. His primary concern was the Wolves weren’t communicating with each other in blunt terms without getting defensive.

Flash forward to Friday night in San Francisco, after a 107-90 victory over the Warriors. The Wolves won their fourth straight game after Edwards’ remarks, and a happy Edwards was speaking to reporters as Julius Randle was sitting two stalls over. Randle was listening in on what Edwards had to say, and Edwards saw that.

In that moment, Edwards showcased a more subtle way in which he has been a vocal leader over the past few seasons.

In praising the team’s defense, Edwards cited Naz Reid’s and Randle’s commitments to that end of the floor, and in particular regarding Randle, he said, “You know, I’ve never see him play defense before. That’s … incredible, and he’s right here, put the camera on him. He be guarding his [tail] off.”

Edwards sprinkled in a few expletives, as he is prone to do. Randle just sat at his stall and laughed. But that statement is an example of how Edwards can call out teammates with a deft touch. He will use humor while making a point that has cutting truth to it. He can let Randle know how he feels by not insulting him and making Randle laugh — while also being positive at the same time.

While reporting for a book on Edwards this summer, I interviewed multiple people from Edwards’ college days at Georgia and with the Wolves who said this was how Edwards gets his points across — with a wink, smile and a laugh, but he’s also going to let you know what he really thinks. Nobody summed that up better than point guard Mike Conley.

“It’s like a fine line, because when he says stuff, it’s not condescending. It’s not a way of like, ‘I’m better than you, you’re the reason we lost.’ It’s almost borderline where he’s always funny and making jokes to where that joke has that truth in it,” Conley said in September. “It’s like ‘Oh, that is funny, but damn, you’re right.'

"Like, I was getting torched one-on-one, and I’m supposed to be the best at this. I was getting blown by on perimeter defense, and I claim I’m really good perimeter defender.’ Whatever it may be, I think it’s accepted well, because of his overall demeanor.”

Teammates also listen when Edwards has something to say because nine times out of ten, he is positive and reinforcing; nobody roots for his teammates harder than Edwards.

“If I hit a shot, I’m super happy. So I know if they hit a shot, they super happy, and I’m super happy for them,” Edwards said Friday. “I’ve always been like that. That brings more joy than me scoring.”

But then that 10th time, he will make a point, and teammates accept it because they know he’s coming from a positive place.

“As much as he gets on you, he’s 10 times more on your side when you’re doing the right things or something positive happens,” Conley said. “There’ll be games where I’ll make three threes in a row, and he’ll be like, ‘Mike, you might be the best shooter in the world. I’ve never seen anybody shoot like that. I’ve never seen that.’

“He’s really giving you confidence. Even though I know he’s probably blowing smoke or whatever, but he has that kind of demeanor where it’s able to be received in a way that gives us all the same confidence as he does.”

The last two seasons, the Wolves have watched Edwards become more comfortable with his role as a vocal leader. He didn’t want to force it early in his career and would defer to the veterans on the team, but he is finding his voice, and it contains a mixture of humor and blunt honesty.

“Always being funny, always trying to say what’s on his mind to where nobody’s looking to fight him over what he’s saying because what he’s saying is what he believes to be true,” Conley said.

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