Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards shows troubling signs for a young NBA player

"I came out with no energy at all," said Anthony Edwards four games into his third NBA season, per The Athletic. It's a troubling sign for a team with goals of competing for an NBA title.

Minnesota (2-2) traded multiple first-round picks to the Utah Jazz for center Rudy Gobert this offseason. The move was meant to solidify the Timberwolves' defense, with the core of D'Angelo Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns, Edwards and Gobert leading the team for seasons to come.

"It's normal for me to be bad on back-to-backs," Edwards said. Per The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, 

"Wolves coach Chris Hines is constantly reminding him that there is a scouting report on him across the league" regarding his disappearing act on the second night of a back-to-back.

Per Stat Muse, Edwards averages 18.7 points on 38.8% shooting without rest. With a day off, he averages 21 points on 44% shooting.

It's fair to expect a player first adjusting to the NBA to experience some growing pains, but after two full seasons, that's no longer a valid excuse.

His admittance that it's a running theme throughout his career is stunning in that players usually address their shortcomings as they happen, not allowing them to become habits. Towns addressed how he could be a better mentor to the fellow former No. 1 overall pick.