Anthony Edwards has interesting explanation for his drop-off in 1 big area

Mar 31, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards (1) dribbles the ball at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Edwards is offering an interesting theory on why he has been so ground-bound this season.

After Tuesday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Minnesota Timberwolves star Edwards was asked by reporters about one glaring area he has regressed in this year — dunks (of which Edwards has ZERO so far through eight games).

“Every time I can get to the rim, I have no chance to dunk, everybody is in the paint,” said Edwards. “I gotta figure out how to lay the ball up. I’m all of 6-4, 6-5, I can’t just jump over everybody, man. I ain’t tall as [Milwaukee star] Giannis [Antetokounmpo].

“Everybody be asking me to dunk the ball like it’s all peaches and cream,” the former No. 1 overall pick added. “I’ve got to get a good lane to dunk the ball. Every time I drive, it’s five people [in there], so for me, finishing the layups is pretty tough, obviously.”

There are a couple of things to unpack with Edwards’ response here. For one, Edwards and the rest of the Timberwolves are still trying to figure out how to play alongside seven-footer Rudy Gobert, who arrived in a trade over the offseason and is playing in two-big lineups next to Karl-Anthony Towns. Thus, many opponents are packing the paint against Minnesota, clogging up driving lanes for their slashers like Edwards.

Then again though, that cannot be the only explanation for Edwards’ goose egg in the dunks category this season (especially since we have seen the man commit many acts of violence at the rim before). Edwards, who should be at his athletic peak at 21 years old, had 128 dunks through his first two NBA seasons. For him to suddenly be at zero now, perhaps there is something indeed to the recent controversy over Edwards’ weight and diet.