"Anthony Edwards came out after their last loss and said 'We have to be better'" - Kendrick Perkins expresses optimism for Minnesota Timberwolves' playoff chances
It hasn't taken long during the 2021-22 NBA season for Minnesota Timberwolves rising star Anthony Edwards to make his presence felt. The second-year wing has impressed with his play on the court. Edwards has shown a jump in production across the board and looks to be a potential face of the franchise moving forward. What's been most impressive about Edwards has been his mentality when it comes to the team. After a disappointing loss against the New Orleans Pelicans, Edwards stated that his team needed to "wake up" and put it on himself and his teammates to play better moving forward.
The team heard the message loud and clear as they went on to have an extremely impressive victory on the road over the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks last night. The win now puts the team at 3-2 on the season as the Timberwolves prepare for a four-game homestand starting Saturday against the Denver Nuggets. With their recent performances, many are starting to wonder if this team could be a surprise playoff contender in the Western Conference. Speaking on ESPN this morning, Kendrick Perkins went out to pay his respects to Edwards for coming out and holding his teammates accountable. Perkins even went on to say that he believes the Timberwolves will make the playoffs in the Western Conference.
"You know what I do have them as a playoff team this year. Anthony Edwards came out after their last loss and say 'we have to be better' and what did they do? They went down to Milwaukee, the team that won the championship last year, and went and got a win in a hostile environment."
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"Anthony Edwards came out after their last loss and said 'We have to be better.'" https://t.co/aYrH3TfNrK
Perkins had gone on social media the night before to express his immediate reaction to the Timberwolves' big win over Milwaukee, stating "don't be surprised if they sneak into the playoffs." The tweet got the attention of one player on the Minnesota Timberwolves who has a history of welcoming any conversation. Patrick Beverley went on to respond to Perkins' statement, saying it was "something RIGHT for once."
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Although the comments from Perkins are going to draw plenty of attention and debate around the basketball world, it might not seem as crazy as you think. There's no denying that the Minnesota Timberwolves have a roster full of talented players. With the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell and rising star Anthony Edwards, the team suddenly has the pieces to make some noise in the Western Conference. Minnesota has continued to be a popular "sleeper" team in the West over the last several seasons, but they never managed to take the next step towards making their way back to the playoffs.
With the sudden emergence of Anthony Edwards and company, the buzz is starting to grow when it comes to it finally being the year that the Timberwolves make a charge towards the playoffs. If Edwards and the rest of his team can continue to hold themselves accountable, it could be an exciting time in the NBA for Timberwolves fans.