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It wasn’t that long ago that NBA experts were laughing at the Minnesota Timberwolves when they agreed to a deal two weeks before the start of season that sent franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. The Wolves looked disjointed for the first half of the year, but are playing like one of the best teams in the NBA. Now, they’re in the Western Conference Finals for the second year in a row, thanks not only to their new additions, but also face of the franchise, Anthony Edwards.
Edwards has become one of the best players in the league. He led the Wolves past Luka Dončić, LeBron James and the Lakers in a relatively stress-free first-round win, then he had little issue beating a Golden State Warriors team that was without Steph Curry for most of the series.
The Wolves got through both series in five games, but now they’ll face an even tougher test when they take on the No. 1 seed in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC is favored, due to their absurd 68-14 regular season record, but the Wolves have to be confident in their chances because of Edwards’ continued evolution as a player.
Dwyane Wade has been impressed by what he’s seen from Edwards, not only on the court, but off it, as well. “[Edwards] talked about the moment this year when he threw the birds up, when he got techs for flipping [the refs off],” the superstar shooting guard said on his podcast. “And he talked about, ‘You know what, I can’t do that. That was a young mistake that I made.’ But he took onus of the mistake as a young man, making a young mistake.”
Wade saw growth in the way Edwards recognized his own immaturity and sought to correct it. That’s leadership, and it gives a glimpse into how even at 23, Edwards has already led the Timberwolves to the greatest period of sustained success in their franchise history.
An imperfect Anthony Edwards is the perfect face of the league
The face of the NBA is a subjective debate at the moment, but Edwards is certainly in the conversation. He’s also a very different candidate than the league has ever had. Think back to Magic Johnson’s dazzling smile or Larry Bird’s Midwestern affect. Even Michael Jordan took great pains never to offend anyone when he once famously said, “Republicans buy sneakers too.”
Edwards is a different breed. He’s racked up technical fouls during his career and paid a hefty amount in fines, from offenses ranging from throwing the ball in the stands after being ejected to using profanity on live TV. Even though he’s done a better job of keeping his emotions in check lately, he’s still done some wild things, such as telling a Lakers fan, “My d*** bigger than yours” as he made an obscene gesture during their first-round series.
Wade thinks that Edwards’ flaws are what make him such a relatable role model. “That’s why to me he’s the face of the game. He’s not perfect, and he don’t wanna be perfect. That’s the world that we live in, none of us are perfect. But to be able to make mistakes and own up to it and man up to it, and then you see growth … right in front of our eyes.”
If Edwards can overcome the 68-win Thunder and get Minnesota to its first NBA Finals in franchise history, he’ll take yet another step toward being the face of the league, especially since he’d have to take down likely MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to do it. Game 1 is tomorrow night at OKC at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
More must-reads:
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TODAY'S BEST
Warriors Have One Major Request in Jonathan Kuminga Trade to Kings
The Golden State Warriors haven't received much interest in a possible sign-and-trade for Jonathan Kuminga. One team was the Sacramento Kings, but the Warriors have already declined two offers from them. One specific change could make the deal go through. The initial trade package the Kings offered centered around Devin Carter, Dario Šarić and two second-round picks. They then upped their offer to include a lottery-protected first-round pick; the issue seems to concern the pick's protection. Sam Amick of The Athletic gave some insight into the trade discussions on an appearance on 95.7 The Game, saying there's one thing that could turn the tide of these trade talks, and that it doesn't necessarily have to do with the players involved. "So, it feels like that the focus for the Warriors, I mean, for one, I was actually told that Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis have not even been discussed for what it's worth," Amick said, "and then on top of that, if the Warriors focus seems to be on the pick and if the Kings went the Warriors request is then go completely unprotected on the 2030 first-rounder." Amick believes the focus is more on the pick than the players, and Devin Carter, if he's still in the offer, was a lottery pick a year ago. That would be a nice consolation prize for losing Kuminga, even if it means taking on the contract of Dario Šarić for a year. The Warriors have also received interest from the Phoenix Suns, but the Suns have no first-round draft capital to trade, which doesn't interest the Warriors. They've been firm that they'd like a young player and a first-round pick in exchange, which seems high for Jonathan Kuminga, but there has been interest in the young forward. Jonathan Kuminga's Contract Demands The bigger issue is whether or not a team is willing to meet Kuminga's salary demands. The Warriors recently raised their offer to two years, $45 million, a deal that Kuminga turned down. It's been rumored that he'd like up near $30 million per year, which most teams seem to agree is too high. The Suns were willing to offer a four-year, $90 million deal, but with them not having the right assets to trade, those talks went nowhere. Kuminga accepting the qualifying offer remains a likely scenario, so he can prove himself and enter unrestricted free agency next year.
'Superman' VOD Home Streaming Date Confirmed and It's Shockingly Soon
In a move that seems faster than a speeding bullet, the new 2025 Superman movie will be available to watch at home just over a month after it hit theaters on July 11. According to multiple outlets, including World of Reel, the new Superman reboot movie will be available for video-on-demand (VOD) purchase starting very soon. In fact, the movie will almost certainly still be in theaters when you can watch it at home. Superman Streaming/VOD release date DC Studios' Superman, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet, will be available for purchase digitally starting on August 15, 2025. This means that just over 30 days after its first theatrical release, the new Superman is coming home. To be clear, this is not the same as streaming on HBO Max, but it does mean you'll be able to pony up a certain amount of money (close to the price of two movie tickets) to watch the movie at home. Purchase of VOD movies generally happens on iTunes, Amazon, and other platforms. DC vs. Marvel VOD releases If this home video release seems quick, it is. For comparison, the last two Marvel superhero movies had nearly two months, not one, between theatrical release and VOD release. Thunderbolts* hit theaters on May 2, and was on VOD on July 1. Meanwhile, Captain America: Brave New World was in theaters on February 14, and on VOD on April 15. Both of those films were deemed, in the eyes of box office pundits, to be failures, while Superman is generally considered to be a success.
Yankees’ Ben Rice sounds subtle alarm after embarrassing sweep vs. Marlins
Armed with the gigantic task of holding the fort while Aaron Judge recovers from an elbow injury, the New York Yankees made a mess of themselves in a big way this past weekend in a three-game series against the Miami Marlins. On Sunday, the Yankees were thoroughly outplayed by the Marlins on all sides of the ball, suffering a 7-3 defeat and a series sweep at the hands of the Marlins. Now, it’s not like the Marlins have a bad baseball team. They are hovering around .500 on the season, so it’s not like the Yankees were that heavily favored heading into the series especially amid Judge’s injury. However, this is a continuation of the Yankees’ poor play as of late, and they have now fallen to third place in the AL East standings. For first baseman Ben Rice, the team has to wake up from this rut they’re in lest bigger consequences happen later in the season. “I wouldn’t say there’s concern, but I would say, I think a little sense of urgency would be good for us going forward. Just to continue do what we can to win ballgames. And that’s gonna be do all the little things. It’s gonna be, hopefully, we sync up pitching and hitting. That’s it,” Rice told reporters after the Yankees’ loss, via YES Network. “No, I wouldn’t say that [we lack a sense of urgency]. But I would say, as we continue to move deeper into the season here, in this playoff race, we’re gonna have to pick it up eventually.” Poor pitching was what undid the Yankees most often during the month of July, and in August thus far, they haven’t put it together on either side of the ball at the same time. Yankees are running hot and cold on both ends of the ball As Rice said, the Yankees are going to have to sync their hitting and pitching to avoid suffering the same fate they did in that three-game series against the Marlins. That Saturday loss to the Marlins might be the Yankees’ most frustrating of the year, mustering just two hits and no runs — an uncharacteristic showing for the team that’s tied for the lead in total runs scored in all of MLB. They have no choice but to soldier on, heading into a three-game set against the Texas Rangers next before yet another crucial series, this time against a division leader in the Houston Astros.
'Morphed Into A Different Player': Steelers Fans Get Inspiring Update On Key Defensive Piece Heading Into 2025
The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for always having a highly capable defense. The expectations for the unit are sky-high heading into the 2025 season as it will be the fourth consecutive year that Pittsburgh is rostering the highest-paid defense in the league. The group is headlined by stars at every level, with some of the most notable being TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, and Jalen Ramsey. However, in order to have the best defense in the league, Pittsburgh is going to need to see some of the younger guys stepping up. Someone to keep an eye on is inside linebacker Payton Wilson. Wilson was one of the more exciting picks for the Steelers during the 2024 NFL Draft, and he did not disappoint during his rookie year. He tallied 78 total tackles, an interception, and he also recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown. Fans are looking for Wilson to have another successful season, which probably includes taking another step forward. Team insider Mark Kaboly has noticed a difference in Wilson while being in Latrobe, which he posted to social media. "You know that big jump that Tomlin talks about from being a rookie to being a second-year player being significant?" Kaboly asked. "It’s real, at least for Payton Wilson, and it's likely not in the area you were expecting. Wilson has morphed into a different football player, more than just on the field. A guy who barely spoke last year, Wilson has been one of the more vocal players on the defense, which already has some big personalities. The trash talking, the vocal leadership, and the intensity have been off the charts through the first week, and it’s been relentless. I can’t admit that we would see that from Wilson this early in his career, but here we are." It seems as though Wilson is trying to take on more of a leadership role during his second season with the team, and he is also trying to make more of an impact with his play. He played well as a rookie, but some fans are expecting him to take a major leap in 2025. This could propel him into Pro Bowl status, or something close. Wilson has been extremely vocal throughout camp, and he has even been taking shots at some of his own teammates in the media. Kaboly has heard him down on the field between the whistle, which is something Pittsburgh needs as a part of its defense. Kaboly believes this is all a result of Wilson being more confident and comfortable in his role. "All that means to me is that he’s much more comfortable in his role – a role where he doesn’t want to come off the field for any reason," Kaboly wrote. During the 2024 season, Wilson played a decent amount, but he only started four total games. Elandon Roberts would usually be the other linebacker next to Patrick Queen when it seemed like a running situation, while Wilson would be on the field in obvious passing scenarios. Wilson wants to be a three-down linebacker in 2025, which is certainly possible. Steelers' Payton Wilson Is Not Lacking Confidence Wilson is flying high heading into 2025, and rightfully so. He has come out and point blank said that he is one of the best coverage linebackers in the world, which is something he will be looking to prove once the regular season kicks off. He is going to need to be a key contributor for Pittsburgh if they want to be the best defense in the league, especially if he plans on being on the field in all scenarios.
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