Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle have led the Wovles to a 4-3 start this season.

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CHICAGO – One of the NBA’s wildfire angles last season was Anthony Edwards as some sort of mythical offspring or second coming of Michael Jordan. A few innocent observations about facial resemblance and athletic similarities quickly turned into burning questions about how quickly the Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard could become a Legitimate Kia MVP candidatea “face of the league” and, sooner or later, a champion.

But what hasn’t been asked is: If Edwards can be this millennium’s “Jordan,” who on this Timberwolves team will be its “Scottie Pippen?” For “Ant” to truly be like Mike, someone had to be like Scottie.

(Please note that we are not looking for a literal interpretation of Pippen, a Hall of Famer and one of the most versatile performers and tenacious defenders in NBA history. The question is simply: who will be Robin of the Edwards’ Batman?)

After swap Karl-Anthony Towns In New York, all eyes are on the acquisition they got in return: Julius Randle. The spotlight turns to Chicago tonight (8 ET, NBA TV) as the Wolves hope to restart a winning streak.

“I’ll let you express your expectations,” Randle told NBA.com after a recent practice at the Wolves’ facility in downtown Minneapolis. “I just told him from day one, I’m here to help him. It’s a special, special talent. An incredible player. He’s so young and he has so much going on that he can continue to improve.

Certainly, it would be insensitive for Randle to nominate himself for this role. He’s the newcomer to an accomplished team, eager to fit in and simply help. He doesn’t have the defensive chops to team up with Edwards like the Bulls duo’s anywhere-on-court scorers did.

“It’s been great from the start”

Randle has some “point forward” skills and, still a few weeks shy of his 30th birthday (November 29), Randle is in or near his prime. He has a coach in Chris Finch who he fully respects and responds to, dating back to the single 2018-19 season they shared in New Orleans when Randle, 6-foot-8, 250 pounds, was still finding his way through the league. and Finch was Alvin Gentry’s offensive coordinator with the Pelicans.

“He’s the same player, skill-wise,” Finch said before the Wolves faced Dallas last week in a rematch of the Western Conference finals. “He has a better idea of ​​what he’s going to do. A lot of young players just put their heads down and leave. He certainly has the confidence and maturity of someone who has accomplished a lot.

“When we got him in New Orleans, it was a contract year. Like many young players, he was worried about his future. Now he has proven who he is. Very mature and ready to do anything to win now.

Comfortable heading into training camp, knowing that Finch appreciated Randle’s game and knew how to deploy him, Tim Connelly, Minnesota’s president of basketball operations, pushed the button that sent Towns to New York for Randle and guard Donte DiVincenzo.

The team had just spent the better part of two seasons merging Kia Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert with Towns in an ambitious “Twin Towers” lineup. The process had been fraught with doubt, teasing and frustration until it clicked last spring and propelled the Wolves to the West final.

This matches the longest playoff streak in franchise history. Their 56 regular season wins were the second-most (58 in 2003-04). Towns’ work as a 3-point power forward earned him his fourth All-Star appearance. Gobert won his fourth DPOY. Edwards shined in the NBA sky. And Finch finished third in coach of the year voting.

Blowing this combo when they seemed to be hitting their stride was, well, a little impulsive. Or motivated by the payroll, cap management, and luxury tax implications rather than what the team had done and could still do on the field.

This is where Finch, Randle and their 365 days together in New Orleans come in.

DIFFICULT BATTLE. pic.twitter.com/IH5SDuykXL

– Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 2, 2024

“It’s been great from the start,” Randle said. “Once the trade was made – other than the shock and understanding of our living situation in Minnesota with the move and the kids – as far as the basketball side of things, there was no other coach in the league I wanted to play for than Finch I love Finch so much and I have so much confidence in his abilities.

Imagine being young, accepting a new job in an unfamiliar city, but having the comfort of a familiar boss from a previous stop.

“I don’t know, we hit it off right away,” Randle said. “He made it easy for me and, so far, I’ve had the best year of my career. I’ve had All-Star (selections) and everything since then, but I feel like I played my best basketball under him.

“He gave me a lot of opportunities. He put me in big situations. As a young player he really gave me confidence. … He’s been a real staple.”

Wolves and Randle try to fit in

Injuries and some criticism of who or what he wasn’t stuck with Randle with previous teams. The Lakers drafted him with the Pick #7 in 2014but had no success, then waived his contractual rights to free up space for LeBron James in 2018. Randle signed a one-year deal with the Pelicans, flourished under Finch’s tutelage , developed a 3-point game and won the NBA title. Most Improved Player Award in 2021.

From there, he headed to New York, where he established himself as an All-Star in 2021, ’23 and ’24, until a shoulder injury shut him down midway through last season .

Finch quickly informed the media and Minnesota fans of Randle’s value, emphasizing his abilities on the perimeter and in the open court to complement his old-school back-to-the-basket game.

Randle said, “I always believed in being upside down. I know the game is trending toward more 3-point shooting, but my bread and butter has always been able to get to the rim. Dominate the paint.

“Over the years, I was able to progress to the point where I could shoot outside jump shots and 3-pointers. But that’s not what I’m counting on. Just knowing who I am and playing to my strengths usually opens up the rest of my game.”

THE BIG BOY. pic.twitter.com/WJtiGLJ51q

– Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) November 3, 2024

At 4-3, the Wolves are adjusting to their new rosters and rotations. Their defensive rating fell from No. 1 last season to No. 12, their net rating from 6.3 to 2.5.

Randle, however, delivered as expected. At 21.4 ppg, 6.4 RPG, and 4.7 apg, he’s on par with or better than most of his career numbers. And at 46.4 percent from the arc, he — and DiVincenzo, and with Edwards looking for more 3-pointers — made up for Towns’ 3-pointers.

It took one game, and Randle’s provisional play in the opening against the Lakers in Los Angeles, so the Wolves figure out how to best blend in with the new guys.

“We told him after the first game,” Finch said, “‘Do your thing and we’ll fit in with you. We need to see you do your thing and get familiar with what it is. He spent most of it of the preseason and certainly the first game against the Lakers to try to “delay, defer”.

“He’s at the point now where he’s going to make the right play 90 percent of the time. So we trust him. “Just do your thing and we’ll figure it out.” We will play against you and gradually we will find a balance.

Randle ready to make his mark

Edwards and the others assured Randle that he didn’t have to worry about stepping on any toes stylistically or ball-centrically. His usage rate so far is 24.3, down from the 29.0 he posted in five seasons with the Knicks, but better than his years with the Lakers.

Veteran point guard Mike Conley said: “Julius is a great guy to go down aggressively, just like Ant. Jayden has an easier look. Rudy does what he does and I do what I do, but guys just have to keep playing with that aggression.

Randle has said the right things about Minnesota, seems generally at peace and is eager to make a sustained playoff run after playing just twice with New York. After playing 648 regular season games and 15 playoff games, he wants to improve this ratio and perform a little better (17.1 points per game, 34.4% shooting) in the playoffs.

“I’m a Texas boy, originally from Dallas, so I’m used to having a lot of space,” he said of Minnesota’s outfield setting. “Just being able to drive and experience all four seasons – it’s fall and the weather is nice right now. It’s cold, I know, but I’m just used to simplicity.

As far as providing Edwards with an All-Star sidekick, Randle knows it would be heresy to drop Pippen’s name or run himself. This Minnesota roster isn’t built like those Bulls teams — no No. 1 and No. 2 surrounded by a capable supporting cast. It’s much more of a package around Edwards, who will either prove that he is ready at 23 to lead an NBA team to the conference finals and beyond, or demonstrate that he is not. ‘is not.

“I’m just here to help him, try to maximize his talent and make the game easier for him,” Randle said. “Because he already did that for me.”

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Steve Aschburner has been writing about the NBA since 1980. You can email him here, find his archives here And follow him on.

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