Watch: Wolf coach Chris Finch brings together Anthony Edwards' efforts – Basketball insider
Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch announced Anthony Edwards’ efforts after losing to the Golden State Warriors in their first game Tuesday.
Wolves spend most of the game struggling to attack offense and will feel missed. Steph Curry left the game early in the second quarter and is now diagnosed with a left hamstring strain.
Edwards missed his first 10 shots with just one point in the first half. He strongly pushed for the game and scored 22 points in the second half.
“It's starting with the ants,” Finch said after a 99-88 loss Tuesday night. “I thought he was struggling and then you could see the light going out for a while.”
To be fair, Edwards, he is not the only wolf player struggling. Mike Conley was considered scoreless, while Julius Randle made 4-for-11. Donte Divincenzo shot only 1-1 from three-pointers, second only to five conversions in 29 3-pointers.
Finch didn't stop his early comments when he picked out Edwards, though.
“What's there to talk about? You're the team leader,” Finch said. “You have to come out and set the tone. If your shot doesn't go, you still have to carry your energy. If I have to talk with the guy about bringing the right energy into the second round of the opening game, we're not on the same page.”
Gobert blames Rust Factor
Star center Rudy Gobert blames the rust on Minnesota's lack of strength.
“Maybe we need to be ready to play high-intensity games,” Gobert said. “Even if we practiced for six days and didn't play for six days, I don't think we really felt that intensity.”
Whether it is rusty, there are real problems in the game.
The Wolves' three-point shooting percentage is definitely an aspect of the game to pay attention to in the game. In Game 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota beat Deep in total with 12 innings (15.8%). It was the worst two-point shooting percentage in playoff history.
Another aspect of Finch's frustration was that the team was executed during the offensive transition, and could judge 10 points in just 18 Warriors' turnovers.
“Our transition decisions are demonic,” Finch said. “Obviously, we can't hit the ball, but I don't like the fact that we can't produce good shots over and over again. We should be able to do that.”
How much can the wolf turn in the second game? Listen Thursday at 8:30 pm ET.
