Minnesota Timberwolves' franchise player, Anthony Edwards, sparked controversy by making an early departure from the bench during his team's heavy defeat to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
Frustration Boils Over for Timberwolves Star
Playing in front of a hometown crowd in Atlanta, Edwards was pulled from the game alongside the rest of Minnesota's starters with nearly eight minutes remaining. The Timberwolves were trailing by a substantial 29-point margin at the time. Instead of joining his teammates on the bench, the visibly frustrated guard tossed a towel into the air and headed straight for the locker room tunnel.
Edwards, who had contributed 30 points over the first three quarters, did not make himself available to speak with reporters after the final whistle. His coach, Chris Finch, addressed the incident directly. "Ant's obviously frustrated with the performance, and rightfully so," Finch told the media. "But he needs to stay out on the floor and root for his team."
A Team in Disarray Despite Strong Record
The loss raises serious questions about the Timberwolves' current form and mentality. Despite entering the season as genuine championship contenders and holding a respectable 21-13 record (sixth in the Western Conference), their recent performances have been alarming.
The 126-102 demolition by the Hawks is particularly concerning given Atlanta was missing All-Star guard Trae Young and had only won two of its previous 13 games. This defeat came just four days after a disappointing 123-107 home loss to the struggling Brooklyn Nets.
Team leaders are not shying away from the problem. Centre Rudy Gobert offered a damning assessment when asked how the team was looking. "Not like a team that wants to play for the championship," Gobert stated, as reported by The Athletic's John Hollinger. He criticised the lack of energy and collective effort, noting, "Offensively, it just seems like we were playing an individual sport, and defensively it just feels like there's not any extra effort. I think the two are connected."
Road Ahead and Need to Regroup
The Timberwolves face a quick turnaround with a challenging back-to-back schedule, playing in Miami on Saturday and Washington on Sunday, before returning home to host the Heat on Tuesday.
Coach Finch acknowledged the need for immediate improvement. "We have another tough game coming up against another team that plays really, really hard and runs full court," he said. "So, we've got to regroup." He framed the struggles as a "tough patch in the middle of a season" but stressed the need to address visible issues promptly, adding, "there's a lot of basketball left to be played."
Individually, Edwards, the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, continues to post stellar numbers, averaging 29.1 points and five rebounds per game this season while shooting efficiently. However, his leadership and the team's cohesion are now under intense scrutiny as they attempt to halt their slide and rediscover their early-season form.
