Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch was quick to point the finger at former number-one overall pick and three-time All-Star Anthony Edwards after the team’s disappointing 99-88 home loss to the Golden State Warriors.
“It starts with Anthony,” Finch said during the postgame press conference. “I thought he struggled early, and then you could just kind of see the light go out a little bit for a while.”
On a night when Anthony Edwards shot nine for 22 from the field, he missed his first ten field goal attempts. Edwards didn’t score his first basket until the 8:02 mark in the third quarter.
“You’re The Leader Of The Team, You Have To Set The Tone” – Chris Finch Did Not Hold Back While Ripping Into Anthony Edwards For His Awful Game 1 Performance pic.twitter.com/uaGsjvumVQ
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“Obviously, we had to try to get him going in the second half,” Finch explained. “I think it was one of those games where he kinda came out with a predetermined mindset of what he was trying to do rather than just playing the game that was in front of him.”
Finch then questioned the energy that Edwards and the Timberwolves played with in Game One.
“What is there to talk about? I mean, you’re the leader of the team. You’ve got to come out and set the tone,” he said. “If your shot’s not going, you still have to carry the energy. If I’ve got to talk to guys about having the right energy coming into an opening second-round game, then we’re not on the same page.”
Anthony Edwards didn’t sound too bothered by Finch’s remarks. When asked if he felt off last night, Edwards responded, “Nah.”
Chris Finch calls out Ant after his Game 1 performance – will Edwards bounce back in Game 2? 💪 pic.twitter.com/r6OhfFyauA
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“I feel like I played great defense, I just couldn’t do anything on offense,” he explained after the game. “People are going to try to blame whatever, blame whoever; they can blame me. I just didn’t play good enough.”
Overall, the team fell well short of their expectations, especially from beyond the arc. Minnesota was held to 17.2% from the three-point line despite connecting on 37.7% of their three-point attempts during the regular season.
“It didn’t look like us at all. It didn’t feel like us at all,” Finch said. “All credit to them. They came in and took it to us.”
