Julius Randle’s arrival at the Timberwolves was met with skepticism, but he brought something new to the table for Anthony Edwards.
The Minnesota Timberwolves surprised the NBA as a whole when they disrupt the third-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.
LeBron James and Luka Donsic pairing was too strong, so everyone supported the Lakers. However, Anthony Edwards turns out to be the true superstar of the series.
That’s not to say that others didn’t play well. Edwards himself admitted that he was scared when Luka Donsic made a big name in Game 4.
But Edwards and the Timberwolves endured. It’s not just Edwards’ talent that makes him great, but his willingness to listen and learn from his teammates.
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Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch spoke about the impact Julius Randle had on other teams since his arrival.
Finch pointed out how Randle’s good habit of preparing for the game early rubbed that he joined Randle to join Randle well before the game to prepare himself.
“Julious is the perfect worker and he’s always in the gym. They both love going back to the night to get extra shots. In fact, one thing I just saw is that Ali goes to the gym very quickly.”
“On match day, Julius goes there three and a half hours ago and does work when no one else is in the gym, and Ali continues to him now.”
“It was a good tandem. I think it really helped Ant prepare. He used to be close to tip-off.”
“But now he takes his job and allows him to pace the rest of his preparations, and probably doesn’t feel like he’s in a hurry for him.”
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I’m happy to hear that Randle is having a positive impact on Edwards. Edwards continues to prove himself as an elite player. The two relationships were mutually beneficial.
Kendrick Perkins recently claimed that playing with Edwards gave Randle a new purpose. With the Knicks, Randle was the second choice for a rather dynamic and disjointed attack.
Chris Finch also praised Randle for enduring the difficult stretches and facing many criticisms there. Currently, Randle and Edwards are two leaders on the dangerous Timberwolves side.
The two stars turn to Game 7 tonight as the Rockets take on the Warriors and decide who will advance to the second round.