$244,623,120 Timberwolves superstar makes feelings known on "hard" coverages, presumably hurts his MVP stock

Minnesota Timberwolves rising superstar wing Anthony Edwards struggled offensively during Thursday's nationally televised 118-115 home loss to the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics. Afterward, the two-time All-Star expressed frustration with Boston's aggressive defensive tactics, likely further diminishing his MVP odds.

While many projected Edwards to take another offensive leap in Year 5, his scoring output has slightly decreased. After averaging a career-best 25.9 points per game across 79 appearances last season, he is averaging 24.5 ppg through 33 outings this season.

Edwards' scoring average took another hit on Thursday, as he mustered 15 points on 5-for-16 shooting (31.3%). That includes him coming up short on a last-second game-tying 3-point attempt.

The 2020 No. 1 draft pick finished fourth on the Timberwolves in scoring. Meanwhile, he was considerably outplayed by Celtics superstar forward Jayson Tatum. The five-time All-Star tallied a game-high 33 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, three steals and six 3-pointers, shooting 13-for-27 (48.1%).

Following his seventh sub-20-point effort of the season, Edwards was asked about potentially taking on more of a playmaking role moving forward. He dismissed the notion, noting that he was passive against Boston out of necessity, as he consistently faced "hard" double teams.

"Hell, no ... It's not how I want to play, of course. I'm only 23; I don't wanna just be passing the ball all night," Edwards said. "... But the way that they guarded me, I think I have to. ... It definitely frustrated me a little bit. Them doubling me is definitely like, 'Bro, what is going on?'"

Superstar players regularly attract multiple defenders. Thus, most would probably expect Edwards, who inked a massive five-year, $244,623,120 contract extension in 2023, to work around the challenge.

Nevertheless, intense defensive schemes appear to be taking their toll on the youngster, who continues to be a non-factor in this year's MVP race.

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Anthony Edwards on struggling to stay locked in for Timberwolves when not scoring at a high rate

Later in his postgame interview, Anthony Edwards was asked "how hard" it is to "stay engaged" when teams limit his offensive looks. He didn't hesitate to highlight his difficulty in doing so.

"Super hard because I'm wired to score the ball," Edwards said.

However, Edwards added that he isn't sure whether teams enter games planning to "mentally take him out" or if it happens organically.

The Timberwolves (17-16) visit the Detroit Pistons (15-18) on Saturday, marking Edwards' next chance to assert himself more offensively.

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