Anthony Edwards can't make clutch shots, and it killed the Wolves again

Anthony Edwards is having a career season. He’s averaging the most points of his career, 53 games into the season, at 27.4 per game. Along with that, he’s become one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in the NBA, averaging a career-high 4.2 made per game. Edwards came into the NBA as a pure athlete that was great at finishing at the rim; now, he’s a three-level, two-way threat that has elevated his game to another level. He’s become the superstar he was supposed to be when he was selected No. 1 overall in the 2020 draft. 

Yet, with all the rapid success he's experienced in his young NBA career, Edwards still has one facet of his game he needs to fine tune. For as well-rounded as he is offensively, when it comes clutch time, Edwards isn’t quite the superstar the Minnesota Timberwolves need him to be.

The good thing is he’s very early in his NBA career, with more than enough time to develop that clutch gene. But for now, his inability to make the big shot, despite always having the ball in his hands when the game matters, is hurting the Wolves.

Anthony Edwards needs to develop his clutch gene like he did his shot to become the future of the NBA

Maybe it’s a bit of an overreaction, but probably the one thing holding Edwards back from truly being the new face of the NBA is his inability to seal the game in the clutch, specifically when it comes to game-winning shots. 

He has the confidence. According to a story in The Athletic, Edwards believes that anytime he shoots the ball it’s going in. The problem is that seldom happens when the game is on the line: Including the potential game-winner on Wednesday night, Edwards is just 2-for-21 in the clutch over the course of his career (defined as any game that's within a five-point spread inside the final five minutes).

For a player that’s made more 3-pointers than Steph Curry this year, that’s a jarring statistic.

During that span, Edwards is shooting 31 percent from beyond the arc and 41.8 percent from the field in general. Both numbers are below his per game averages of 41.8 and 44.2 percent from the field, respectively.

It’s easy to see why he’s confident in those moments, but his confidence isn’t backed by results. The good thing is he’s going to keep taking the most important shots in the game, which means that hopefully he’ll eventually start making more. That said, as he continues to miss those shots, he’ll ultimately continue costing Minnesota games.

It’s a good problem to have. All superstars have to be able to step up in the most crucial moments. For the most part, Edwards is doing that. But when the game is on the line, he tends to fizzle out. The Timberwolves lost their 19th clutch-time game on Wednesday night. If they want to get back to the Western Conference Finals, he’ll have to tap into that clutch gene and truly start winning tight games for Minnesota.