Anthony Edwards airs frustrations over getting double-teamed: ‘I don’t know what to do, honestly’

When the Minnesota Timberwolves traded away Karl-Anthony Towns and his $220 million contract, it was expected that many of Towns’ offensive responsibilities, and the ensuing defensive attention, would fall to burgeoning superstar Anthony Edwards.

So far, that isn’t working out.

The Timberwolves lost 118-115 to the Boston Celtics on Thursday, lowering their record to 17-16 a year after going 56-26 and reaching the Western Conference finals. It was a rough game for Edwards, who shot 5-of-16 for 15 points, plus six assists and two turnovers.

Edwards had plenty to say about the double teams he was facing after the game, though. Speaking with reporters including Dane Moore, Edwards said he wasn’t interested in a playstyle that required him to pass out of double teams:

Edwards also said it was “super hard” to stay engaged while being double-teamed and that he isn’t sure what to do:

That’s not exactly what you want to hear from the young player who represents the foundation of your team’s entire future. It’s also not hard to imagine every NBA team reading those words and interpreting them as “Keep double-teaming Anthony Edwards. It is working.”

Rather than taking another leap in Towns’ absence, Edwards has overall been roughly as productive as he was last year, but not so much in the past two weeks. In that span, he’s shot 39.3% and scored 18.9 point per game, with Minnesota going 3-5.

Of course, Edwards isn’t the first young player to deal with regular double teams. It’s basically a rite of passage for NBA superstars, and the answer is always to either learn how to score through those double teams or make teams more afraid of the possibility you find the open man. The odd part is Edwards outright saying he has little interest in the second option.

He and the Timberwolves fortunately have plenty of time to make adjustments. Their next chance for a step forward will be on the road Saturday against the Detroit Pistons.