Anthony Edwards leads Timberwolves with ever-present positivity

It's a regular occurrence to see Edwards bring his teammates along with him for national television interviews. He's the star of the team and has the personality to match it, making him the player the national media will always want to talk to. But when Edwards has a down game, or even when he plays like the star he is — he sure did Saturday — Edwards never hesitates to highlight the success of his teammates. These national TV interviews are an exemplification of his leadership.

On Saturday, Edwards scored a game-high 30 points and didn't even play in the fourth quarter with the game well in hand. He was the catalyst for Minnesota on both ends of the court as the Wolves built a 20-point lead after the first quarter. But first instinct was to highlight the rookie Shannon, who's only played sparingly but brought a boost with 15 points Saturday.

That's not something Edwards just does for the cameras; he genuinely revels in his teammates' success. After a rough Game 2, Edwards was the first person to approach Julius Randle, who was frustrated after his first stinker of the playoffs.

"I think he's just very in tune with his teammates and what's going on," Randle said of Edwards. "As great of a player Ant is and what he does, especially on a night-to-night basis, he's like the definition of selfless. ... Just shortly after (Game 2), he knows I'm hot, I'm upset, not just because we lost, but I want to play well, and I felt like I didn't help my team out at all.

"And he was the first one, he says to me, 'Just bro, just shake it, you good, don't worry about it.' And as the flight went on, I was able to like start smiling and laughing again, and we were playing cards and all that stuff. He's very mature and very in tune with the team, and as a leader of the team, you need that."

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Edwards always comes in with a good mood, and noted he was one of the most positive voices in the locker room after the Game 2 defeat. The positive energy he brings only trickles down to his teammates. Naz Reid had his own share of struggles and frustrations in Game 2, but Reid never got down on himself.

"I never beat myself up. Especially being around Ant, you never really get down on yourself," Reid said.

In the ups, the downs, Edwards stays positive and lifts up his teammates.

"The leadership that he has shown this season has come leaps and bounds," Finch said.

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