Anthony Edwards on Timberwolves offense: ‘”We don’t have anything bad on offense”

Karl-Anthony returned to Minnesota on Thursday night and reminded them exactly why the Timberwolves miss him. It wasn’t just the 32 points he scored while shooting 5-of-5 on 3-pointers and 20 rebounds; it was how perfectly he fit next to Jalen Brunson in the Knicks’ offense — the way he used to fit next to Anthony Edwards.

Minnesota’s offense without Towns stumbled through the game as it has in most games this season. The fit between Edwards and Julius Randle — the guy Towns was traded for — isn’t natural or smooth. After the game, Edwards didn’t hold back in saying how frustrated he is right now, via Dane Moore.

Edwards is an Olympianan NBA-level player and one of the game’s rising stars who thrives in isolation. Randle likes to isolate and work near the basket. Combine them and everything gets clogged. Minnesota has run the sixth-most isolation sets in the NBA this season, but is scoring just 0.77 points per possession. possession on them, which is fourth worst in the league.

Despite how Thursday against the Knicks looked, the Timberwolves aren’t a bad team, thanks primarily to an elite defense that can keep them in (most) games. However, they will not return to the Western Conference Finals again with this offense, which leads to tough questions. A trade is possible, but an easier solution might be in house: Start Naz Reid next to Rudy Gobert and bring Randle off the bench (and let him be the star with all the touches on the second unit). Reid tries hard on defense and can space the floor as a shooter (34.6% from 3 this season, numbers that have improved after a slow start).

Whatever changes come, the Timberwolves will have to figure something out in the coming weeks if they intend to be a playoff threat again in a deep West.