Timberwolves rookie Edwards looking like the real deal

President of basketball operations Gersson Rosas has a vision for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

After making big changes to the Wolves’ roster at the 2019-20 trade deadline, Rosas has surrounded All-Stars Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell with a core of promising young talent.

Each Thursday, we’ll be tracking the progress of these young players while also keeping up with the G League Iowa Wolves to see who will rise to the challenge of bringing a consistent, winning team to Minnesota.

This is the 1st edition of the 2020-21 Young Wolves Tracker.

SPOTLIGHT ON …

Guard Anthony Edwards

On the second episode of Wolves+, a new podcast in which host Marney Gellner chats with Minnesota Timberwolves players and executives — Anthony Edwards went viral.

The top choice of the 2020 NBA draft was chatting with Gellner about his talents outside of basketball, naming everything under the sun from tennis to swimming to hockey to … cooking food.

“I bet I’ll be A1 from Day 1,” he said.

It’s early — very early — but it looks like the Wolves rookie might be A1 from Day 1 on the court.

Through seven games of his NBA career, Edwards is averaging 13.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 25.1 minutes per contest. He’s scored in double figures in all but one game.

Edwards logged a career-best 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting in the Wolves’ 116-111 win over Utah on Dec. 26, a victory that improved Minnesota’s record to 2-0.

Like most rookies, Edwards’ production has been a bit inconsistent at times as he attempts to figure out the NBA as a 19-year-old. He cashed in just 6 of 19 attempts from the field in Minnesota’s most recent loss to Denver on Jan. 5. Edwards missed 15 shots in the Wolves’ blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Dec. 27.

But one thing Edwards has consistently brought to the Timberwolves has been energy. He’s the team’s leading scorer off the bench and owns the third-best PACE factor on the Wolves at 104.6, indicating he’s willing to get out in transition and play fast.

Edwards ranks third on the Timberwolves with a usage percentage of 25.3%, only trailing the All-Stars D’Angelo Russell (28.5%) and Karl-Anthony Towns (26.5%). That means Edwards is utilized on over one-fourth of the Timberwolves’ offensive possessions when he’s on the floor. His usage percentage also ranks first among rookies averaging over 12 minutes per contest.

Yes, it’s early, but the early returns on the choice of Edwards certainly looks favorable for Gersson Rosas’ front office.

A1 from Day 1@theantedwards_ knocking ’em down from everywhere 🔥 pic.twitter.com/HlM6QLvv8h

— FOX Sports North (@fsnorth) December 30, 2020

WOLF TRACKS

— Jarred Vanderbilt, who made his way to Minnesota in the blockbuster deadline deal with Denver last season, appeared in two games for the Wolves last season. He’s already played five in 2020-21. Vanderbilt went off for a career-high 11 points against his former team Jan. 5, making 4 of 5 attempts from the field. He also owns the Wolves’ second-best defensive rating at 98.0.

— In three starts this season, center Naz Reid is averaging 13.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest in 24 minutes. As a reserve (four games), he’s logged 7.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 17.1 minutes per contest.

— The Wolves are 2-0 when Towns plays this season. Without Towns on the floor, Minnesota is 0-5.

— The Iowa Wolves are reportedly opting in to play the NBA G League schedule from a bubble in Orlando, Fla. The season is expected to consist of 12 to 15 games with a tentative playoff schedule beginning March 5.