West Notes: Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards, Blazers, Shaedon Sharpe, Thunder

Timberwolves

Anthony Edwards has made it clear he’s not content with back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Finals.

In a detailed feature by The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, the Timberwolves star is described as hungrier than ever to take the next step, both as a player and as a leader.

Edwards’ focus, Krawczynski writes, is all about finishing the climb to a title that has twice eluded Minnesota in recent years.

Whether he’ll start that journey on Wednesday remains to be seen. The Wolves listed Edwards as questionable for their season opener in Portland because of back spasms.

Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers are betting on two different timelines and two different kinds of growth.

Rose Garden Report’s Sean Highkin called Toumani Camara’s new four-year, $81 million extension a “win-win,” saying Portland secured a rising two-way forward at fair value. Shaedon Sharpe’s four-year, $90 million deal, on the other hand, is viewed as a “calculated risk.”

Highkin points out that Sharpe, still just 22, has All-Star potential but has yet to show consistency on either end.

The Blazers are counting on that leap, and paying for the possibility that he becomes the kind of scorer who defines their next era.

Thunder

The Thunder’s reign might be just beginning, or it might already be peaking. That’s the question ESPN’s Zach Kram posed in his deep dive on Oklahoma City’s trajectory.

Between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP form, Jalen Williams’ steady rise, and Chet Holmgren’s defensive dominance, there’s plenty of reason to think the defending champs have more in the tank.

If Tuesday night’s double-overtime win over Houston is any indication, the fire still burns hot. On ring night, the champs didn’t coast — they fought, clawed, and escaped with a one-point victory to start the title defense right where they left off.