MINNEAPOLIS \u2014 In a crestfallen visitor\u2019s locker room at Madison Square Garden earlier this week, Julius Randle delivered a quiet but urgent message to Anthony Edwards.<\/p>\n
The Minnesota Timberwolves star had just returned from a four-game absence<\/a> due to a strained right hamstring and tried to gently reintroduce himself into the starting lineup for a group that had won two straight games. He took only five shots in the first half and was a minus-25 in 29 minutes.<\/p>\n The Wolves were shredded in the second half, outscored 83-56, dropping their defensive rating to 27th in the league. So Randle approached Edwards to let him know what was needed.<\/p>\n This is your team. No more deferring.\u00a0<\/p>\n It took Edwards 90 seconds against Utah on Friday night to show he got the message. He hit two 3-pointers, knocked down a Kobe-like turnaround jumper and blocked a layup by Isaiah Collier at the rim during a ferocious start.<\/p>\n HE\u2019S ON FIRE. \ud83d\udc1c pic.twitter.com\/VLya6lV7RU<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 8, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n As Edwards imposed his will, the Timberwolves\u2019 vibe soared. They needed a jolt, and Edwards delivered it. They outscored the Jazz 43-15 in the first quarter, led by as many as 44 points in the game and breezed to a 137-97 victory in their first NBA Cup game of the season. Edwards scored 29 of his 37 points in the first half, went 7-for-12 from 3-point range and grabbed five rebounds as well.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re only going as far as he takes us,\u201d Randle said after that Knicks game. \u201cWe gotta help him get back in with him and get back in the flow with everything.\u201d<\/p>\n This team is perfectly suited for Edwards to take on that role. Randle has morphed beautifully into a top-flight wing man, as capable of making plays for others as he is for himself. McDaniels is blossoming as a true offensive weapon, ideally suited to capitalize on the attention Edwards attracts from the defense. Donte DiVincenzo is off to a great start from 3-point range, even with a broken nose<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now that Edwards has shaken the rust off from his absence, he can do the galvanizing that needs to be done.<\/p>\n This is what stars do. This is what leaders do. This is who Edwards, in his sixth season, has become. On a team filled with quieter personalities, Edwards is the blue flame that lights the water heater. Target Center is never louder than when Edwards is rolling. The Wolves are never more dangerous than when Edwards is on the hunt.<\/p>\n During that opening flurry, 18-year NBA veteran Kevin Love was watching from the Jazz bench.<\/p>\n \u201cI looked at the rest of the guys and said we\u2019re in for a long night,\u201d Love said.<\/p>\n The Timberwolves have been sleepwalking through the first eight games of the season, looking nothing like the intense, gritty, defensive-minded team that has reached back-to-back Western Conference finals. They were ranked 27th in the NBA in defensive rating, inexcusable for a team of their defensive talent, continuity and ambition to contend for a title.<\/p>\n The sludge has been most visible on defense, but it has seeped onto the offensive end as well, particularly when the Wolves have faced stiffer competition. There have been moments of crisp offense in all four of their losses, but also long bouts of stagnant, one- or no-pass possessions filled with turnovers.<\/p>\n The malaise also dampened the team\u2019s energy. They weren\u2019t hustling after rebounds with the same hunger they had last season. They weren\u2019t closing out on shooters in the corner with the same effort. They weren\u2019t jumping on opponents and keeping them down. DiVincenzo said after the Knicks\u2019 loss that the defensive issues were rooted in a lack of spirit and energy.<\/p>\n Edwards sensed it. In a video posted by the Timberwolves social team Friday, he urged the team \u2014 his team \u2014 to stay together during times of adversity. He implored them not to go into silos, but to lean into each other, cheer for one another and support each other.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t say we\u2019re about winning and then when we hit the wall, everybody wanna, \u2018I\u2019m gonna do ISO \u2026 That\u2019s super important,\u201d he told them. \u201cWe gotta stay locked in.\u201d<\/p>\n stay locked in.<\/p>\n Track The Pack \u00bb https:\/\/t.co\/dtJh5mY9rg<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/583td7avXl<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 7, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not going to be everybody\u2019s night every night,\u201d Edwards said after the Jazz win. \u201cJust being able to sit on that bench and cheer on your team when you\u2019re not in the game and you don\u2019t got it going, I think that\u2019s what brings championship vibes and a championship mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n This has always been Edwards\u2019 superpower. Yes, he can jump out of the gym. Yes, he led the NBA in 3-pointers made last season. But what has allowed him to become the kind of player that can lift an entire franchise is the emotional intelligence that is sometimes hidden under all of that Atlanta swag.<\/p>\n He doesn\u2019t need a stethoscope to hear his team\u2019s heartbeat. His fingers are always on the pulse. That is how he gets his teammates to follow him. That is how he commands a room.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s our leading light, and he\u2019s got to be aggressive, and he\u2019s got to be himself,\u201d Finch said. \u201cThat\u2019s what we need. And I thought he played quick and clean. Thought we all did to start the game, and it was just really good, really fun to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n Randle had 19 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, coming just one rebound shy of a triple-double in the first half. He was a plus-43 in 26 minutes. Jaden McDaniels had 22 points, seven rebounds and three steals, including a rip-and-dunk to start the game.<\/p>\n steal and slam to start us off. \ud83d\udd25 pic.twitter.com\/0huQ0JMnI4<\/a><\/p>\n