Anthony Edwards’ Rough Game Actually Was a Good Thing for Timberwolves

Despite a terrible offensive game for Anthony Edwards, the Wolves steamrolled past the Magic on their way to a 2-0 start to the season.

Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Anthony Edwards had one of the worst offensive games of his young Minnesota Timberwolves career Tuesday night against the Orlando Magic. He missed 18 of his 23 shots from the field and struggled to find any sort of offensive rhythm from anywhere on the floor.

Among games where Edwards took 20 or more shots, his 21.7 percent shooting is Edwards' worst field goal percentage of his entire career. It was a surprising off-night for Edwards, who is coming off a spectacular 45-point game on opening night.

In an extremely positive sign for the team, Edwards' poor performance had no effect on the outcome of the game. Despite their best player being unable to put the ball in the basket, the Wolves still beat the Magic by 22 points.

Timberwolves had to dig deep with Edwards off

The most encouraging aspect is that the Wolves won the game in a completely different fashion than in the first game against the Miami Heat, where they shot the lights out. In this one, Minnesota did all the little things. They played great defense, out-rebounded their opponent, and got just enough offense from every corner of the roster.

The Timberwolves ended the game with 14 more field goal attempts and 11 more free throws than the Magic. While both teams shot under 45 percent from the field, the Wolves pulled away and ended with a solid 115 points because they ended up with way more possessions.

The Wolves grabbed an outstanding 22 offensive rebounds in this game, seven of which came from Joan Beringer, who has had some struggles early on in the season, but has at the very least proved that his ability to generate a large number of extra shots from the offensive glass.

For the Magic, they only had eight offensive rebounds, meaning the Wolves gained 14 extra shots from their rebounding advantage. That, combined with turning the ball over four fewer times, gave the Wolves a seismic advantage in the possession battle.

This was a game where the Wolves did all of the little things. They defended well, had many more rebounds than their opponent by a wide margin, and took care of the ball. On a night when the shots weren't falling, that is what the Wolves needed to do to win.

Wolves spread out the scoring responsibilities

Even with a poor shooting night, Edwards co-led Minnesota with 15 points. Eight other players on the Timberwolves scored nine or more points, with a total of seven in double figures.

The Wolves needed every bit of the offensive production they could on a night when the shots were not falling at a consistent rate. They got it from every corner of the roster, from starters to the back of the rotation bench players.

Jaden McDaniels was the other Timberwolves player with 15 points as he continues to make the Wolves look smart for giving him a one-year $40 million contract extension last week. Although McDaniels also missed his fair share of shots, he provided the Wolves with enough offensive lift in a game where they desperately needed it.

Ayo Dosunmu was the lone Timberwolves non-center who had any semblance of efficient offensive performance. Dosunmu had 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting, plus nine assists and seven rebounds. As he has from the moment he came to the Wolves, Dosunmu did a little bit of everything Friday night in Orlando.

Both Terrence Shannon Jr. and Trey Lyles as well had solid games as well. Shannon Jr., including a pair of three-pointers, and Lyles had nine points and six rebounds in just 17 minutes. The aforementioned Beringer also had nine points, scoring almost all of them directly after a rebound.

Coming into the season, there were plenty of concerns about the Wolves' bench. To see them step up to score 48 points this early in the season is an incredibly positive sign for how much room the bench unit has the ability to grow this year.

The Timberwolves season is off to as good a start as anyone could have hoped. Minnesota has a pair of wins, both by more than 20 points, and Michael Grady and Jim Petersen were back on the mic, this time for DAZN.

The Wolves now return home for what is sure to be a pumped-up crowd at Target Center on Sunday night against the Toronto Raptors. Last year, the regular season was a slog, something everyone was waiting to end. This time around, it feels like it's gonna be a show every time the Timberwolves take the court.

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