We’re starting to see how Anthony Edwards benefits from his decision to play for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. He’s playing so well that he’s become “unquestionably the guy,” according to head coach Steve Kerr. Edwards’ performance is garnering national attention, and not only for him. People are starting to buy into the Minnesota Timberwolves next year.
But the most exciting development is Edwards’ growing bromance with Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.
“He’s been dope, man, bringing a lot of energy and the ‘Heat Culture,”‘ Edwards told Complex Sports. “It’s exciting to see. His first day with the scout (team), I was like, ‘I see what they mean when they say Heat Culture.’ They come out with a lot of energy and are right to the point and super precise with the details.”
Spoelstra also had high praise for Edwards.
“It’s hard not to look at Anthony Edwards and not see Dwyane Wade in him,” the Heat coach said. “I’m not a guy for comparisons. I’m not. But the way he moves, the way he competes, the way he electrifies a crowd. Yes, that reminds me of No. 3, and I have told Anthony that. I feel like I’m going back in time. It’s making me younger again. I’m really enjoying it.”
Spoelstra is pretty safe in comparing Edwards to Wade. He’s not the first person to do it. Still, it means something different coming from Miami’s longtime coach. Wade was the Heat. He represented their culture. Beyond behind their star player, Wade became the foundation upon which they built two championship teams.
Miami had Shaquille O’Neal when they won in 2006, and Udonis Haslem embodied Heat culture. Haslem is a local undrafted player who spent 20 seasons with Miami until he retired this year. But Wade was a superstar. He recruited LeBron James and Chris Bosh to South Beach and willingly ceded usage to win two championships. That is Heat culture – a willingness to sacrifice individual accolades for the team’s betterment.
Spoelstra will undoubtedly influence Edwards on Team USA. Wisely, Edwards is taking it all in. But will he act upon it? Edwards naturally wants the last shot when the game is on the line. He’s Minnesota’s best player and has the moxie to deliver in the clutch. However, Edwards can be a facilitator who makes things easier for his teammates. And he’s getting valuable experience doing so in FIBA. Still, it won’t matter if he doesn’t bring it back to the Twin Cities.
As Edwards grows as a player, he must be willing to elevate his teammates. He’s still discovering his upside. Edwards, 22, has already developed a healthy disdain for losing. After their Game 3 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Edwards sat at his locker for a long time, staring at himself in the mirror. He later said he never wanted to get swept. It’s only natural for Edwards to believe the best way to avoid that is to take the winning shot. But he may be hurting his cause if he’s taking a bad shot while a capable teammate is open.
Spoelstra isn’t leaving the Heat to coach Edwards, and Wade has partial ownership of the Utah Jazz. They’re not coming to Minnesota, so Edwards must take whatever he learns with him. It starts with attention to detail and manifests as self-sacrifice. The Wolves need Edwards at his best if they’re going to get out of the first round. Edwards has said the right things. He wants Karl-Anthony Towns to return to MVP form and Rudy Gobert to be the Defensive Player of the Year again. He knows how vital Jaden McDaniels has become to Minnesota’s core. But his actions will speak louder than words. He has to trust his teammates to win.
At first blush, comparing the Timberwolves to the Heat is unrealistic. Miami is a destination city with warm weather and no income tax. They have three championship banners and retired numbers hanging from their rafters. But Miami-Fort Lauderdale (18) is a smaller market than Minneapolis-St. Paul (15), and both teams expanded around the same time. The Heat joined the NBA in 1988. The Wolves joined a year later.
However, the Heat have had stable ownership, and Spoelstra has coached them since 2008. As Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez take over, they need to emulate the NBA’s best organizations. The Heat should be near the top of that list, and Spoelstra is giving Edwards a dose of Heat culture overseas. Assuming Edwards internalizes it, and ownership establishes stability, Edwards’ Team USA experience should pay dividends for years to come.
