‘Heartbreak is a part of the journey!’ – Jefferson on Anthony Edwards & the Timberwolves | NBA Today

‘Heartbreak is a part of the journey!’ – Jefferson on Anthony Edwards & the Timberwolves | NBA Today

the Timberwolf season it came to an abrupt end last night this one was over early Minnesota Trail by 29 at the half that’s their worst first half in team postseason history it was also their worst defensive effort of the playoffs they gave up 124 points to the Mavs so here’s Anthony Edwards on what exactly went wrong we never clicked all together as a team in this series not yeah not even one game I think that was the main thing like no like um the last two series we was all clicking at one time making shots and stuff we wasn’t clicking at one time now what’s your emotions as the season now comes to an end about what you accomplished and where it fell short uh I just said we’ll be back next year so ant says that they’ll be back and honestly I have no reason to doubt him when we look back I think this season is going to be the year that the 22-year-old he became a household name he had multiple 40 point games in route to knocking out the reigning Champs don’t forget this postseason he drew comparisons to a young Michael Jordan and his charismatic press conferences they become as much a musse as his dunks on the court look at this too he became the second player ever with 400 points 100 rebounds 100 assists in a single postseason at age 22 or younger joining pretty Elite company you’ve heard of him LeBron James in 2007 so here’s Justin Tinsley to explain why the losses like last night might make the eventual triumphs even sweeter can one truly appreciate the Mountaintop without setbacks or heartbreak Dallas was too much this is embarrassing if you’re the Minnesota timberwol even with the Western Conference Finals lost Anthony Edwards Sports most charismatic Superstar was the breakout force of the 2024 NBA playoffs He barked at Kevin Durant one of his basketball Idols that was probably one of the best fillings ever in my whole life he led the charge in a second round upset of the world champion Denver Nugget it’s a three what a comeback by Minnesota but in the NBA growing pain play out on the world stage just look at history Kareem Abdul Jabar captured his first title in his second season and didn’t win again for nearly a decade Magic Johnson a five-time champion remains haunted by the 1984 finals and the tragic Johnson moniker that came from it Michael Jordan went six and0 in the finals but not until he got past the Bad Boys sha was swept by hakee Kobe airball those shots in Utah LeBron lost in the finals twice before he saw the view from the NBA’s Pinacle and Steph Curry was the unanimous MVP before his team blew a 3-1 lead in the finals no story worth telling amids adversity such is the reality of Anthony Edwards yet instead of outraging just comparison let Ant-Man be Ant-Man it’s not cocky it’s not arrogance it’s just I’m just a confident person I just think I’m the best in everything that I do all too often in life we tend to skip to the end of the book before letting chapters right themselves and if it’s anyone who doesn’t need any help coming up with their own words I just want to kill everything in front of me man that’s the main thing don’t never wor about me being lock I’m here it’s Anthony Edwards I just you can’t help but smile watching that Anthony Edwards is so much fun I’ll miss seeing him on the floor night in and night out but Justin Tinsley started that fantastic essay by asking do you need to feel heartbreak before you get to the Mountaintop to truly appreciate it Richard you’ve done it a few times yeah I wasn’t G to say it let me say this no you do not need it but it’s a part of the journey outside of Magic Johnson who won it in his rookie year but he showed up with Kareem and Norm Nixon and loaded Squad But ultimately history shows us that you have tons of failure before you have ultimate success we love to talk about Jordan six rings we don’t talk about all the years he was getting clapped by Boston clapped by Detroit that’s just the truth right but then he gets there and that’s why we hold Michael Jordan in such a high regard because once he held the Mountaintop it was his there wasn’t any up and down so I look at ant and say this is a part of the journey we look at Luca right now what happened with Luca got to a Conference Finals couple years trying to figure out the team then boom now they’re back in the finals so this is a part of the journey no one gets to skip it I think this was a big step for the Timberwolves and for ant and the question is what’s the next step going to be in terms of if this is the roster that they believe they can get to that ultimate mantle with because if you look at their offseason right the Wolves they can keep their main rotation intact I know this is a lot of information here so we’re going to leave it up for just a second only Kyle Anderson is a free agent this is all according to Bobby Marx Minnesota has 196.7 million in committed salary that is factoring in the first round pick that they have and they would also be over the second apron which woo that’s spooky word again the second apron Rudy goar is under contract for at least one more season cat for three more seasons they both though have player options so now that we’re sort of digesting all of this Zach do you think that cat and Rudy are the right running mates for Anthony Edwards should they run back this roster it depends what the alternative is because we know we have proof of con ccept the structure of this team as is can get pretty damn far and yeah it feels disappointing today getting blown out at home losing 4-1 but do not sneeze at unseating the defending champions in seven games with three Road wins including game seven in Denver and Cat who’s going to get all the focus in however they might have to remake remake their team going forward because of his contract he was outstanding in that series and you have to come to grips with this if you decide to make a cat move that is at least partially for financial reasons you have to accept that that may mean a step back at least a little bit on the court until you can kind of reorient your team and see what you get in return for him and everything fits and it’s going to be hard to do that because the West is loaded there are young teams are getting better there are teams in their Prime that are going to stay right where they are and so if it’s me it’s not my money but if it’s me this team proved enough that it should get another chance to be kept together as awkward as it can be sometimes they’re pretty damn good and yeah you can break it up you can move pieces around you might not be quite as good and years can go by before you get back to this level again I say don’t break it up don’t break it up like give this group give this unit what you’re conf you think they should break it up I am agreeing with you my is like who is the dumbass that’s saying break up this young team that you don’t really want to lose when you are built to beat the defending champs your expect is to be the champ but then yeah this loss is humbling the issue here is not that they have the wrong or right unit you know the real issue is how this unit is being utilized when you have caranza gives you 19 points per game when you have Rudy goar who wins defensive player of the year when you have the Sixth Man of the Year in Nas Reed if you look around the NBA and this is my post stable you are winning that is a win to have that type of onsemble but when you beat the defending champs and the nuggets and you can beat them by going big then you turn around and you struggle with small it’s about the adjustments in the game not adjusting your players man if these boys would have had the path that Boston had they’d be in the finals right now facts so let’s not break it up let’s just keep it together and keep it push speaking of Boston how many times over the years oh should the Jays break up luk that was [Music]

Richard Jefferson, Chiney Ogwumike, Andraya Carter, Malika Andrews and Zach Lowe discuss if the Minnesota Timberwolves’ loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals was necessary for them to progress as a team.

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