Team USA Coach Explains How Key Summer Lesson Is Helping Anthony Edwards vs. Thunder

Few and Edwards worked together during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where Team USA claimed the gold medal. The 23-year-old Edwards was the youngest player on the star-laden team, not much older than the players Few works with at Gonzaga — and Few is seeing Edwards turn teaching points into action during the Western Conference finals.

"I was always trying to push him to accelerate a little bit across halfcourt," Few told The Sporting News. "If he can get it to four-on-three, three-on-two, he’s impossible to stop. He did it a little bit (in Games 2 and 3 of the conference finals), and that made a big difference."

Edwards has raised his game each season since he placed second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2021. This season, he made his third All-Star team and averaged a career-best 27.6 points per game. Few has been impressed by his growth as a facilitator and as a defender, which helped Minnesota end the regular season with 32 wins from the last 48 games.

“He’s made a jump every year," Few said. "He’s cutting better. He’s passing better. He’s obviously great on the ball defensively."

But beyond his development as a player, Edwards has maintained a characteristic that Few views as "contagious" -- one which his teammates must absorb as the Timberwolves seek their first-ever NBA Finals appearance.

"He has such an incredible, joyful spirit," Few said. "It’s contagious within the team structure. You can see it, feel it. He’s one-of-a-kind."