Analysis: Anthony Edwards mad and mum after Timberwolves hit another low point

ATLANTA – Anthony Edwards declined to speak to the media after the Timberwolves’ most embarrassing loss of the season, 126-102 to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

But a singular action of his late in the game spoke loud and clear about his frustration level.

In a timeout huddle with about eight minutes remaining, Edwards threw his towel in the air and walked off the floor. This came four days after Edwards threw this jab after his team’s low-energy, lackluster showing in a loss to the Brooklyn Nets: “I guess this is just Timberwolves basketball.”

The context behind that statement was that the Wolves aren’t motivated to play on a night-to-night basis. That certainly was the case against the Hawks (16-19), who raced to a 27-point lead against a Wolves team that didn’t bother to show up at either end of the floor.

While Edwards’ towel throw and storm off the floor was a visible sign of frustration, there was audible exasperation in the tones of voice from players like Rudy Gobert and Donte DiVincenzo after the game.

DiVincenzo was upset the team has been talking about what it needs to do and not going out and doing it, especially after the Wolves (21-13) put forth a good effort two nights earlier against the Chicago Bulls.

“There’s only so much you can talk about. How many meetings, how many film sessions, how many times does Finchy [coach Chris Finch] have to talk to us? It’s frustrating,” DiVincenzo said. “Chicago, you play well, you respond, and then you come in here and lay an egg.”

To DiVincenzo, that’s not the case here. The coaching staff has done that plenty.

“[Coaches] are doing their job. It’s on us,” DiVincenzo said. “It sounds so cliché, but at some point, you just have to go out there and play. ... Doesn’t matter how many plays Finchy draws up, doesn’t matter how many defensive schemes we do, they can’t control how hard you play.”

On the other end of the locker room was Gobert, often the team’s backstop on nights when it might not be 100% energy-wise.

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“Each one of us knows the things we can do better, and now we have to face it,” Gobert said. “Before any type of finger-pointing, I think just looking at ourselves in the mirror is what’s really important.”

When asked whether he thought the team was still in a good place as a group, Gobert said: “I don’t know.”

“We have an amazing opportunity, but something has to happen.”

Then there was Finch, who struck an even-keeled tone, as he is inclined to do when the noise gets loud externally. Afterward, Finch didn’t rip into his team but kept a mild-mannered approach that projected confidence that this is just a blip during an otherwise-solid season so far.

“We played good basketball most of the season,” Finch said. “So, we just got another tough game coming up against a team [the Miami Heat] that plays really hard and runs full court. We got to regroup.”

Regarding the state of the team, he also expressed optimism, especially after the Wolves went through bouts of inconsistency in November and December last season.

As for Edwards, Finch did say he shouldn’t have walked off the floor with several minutes left in the game.

“Obviously frustrated with the performance and rightfully so, but he needs to stay out on the floor and root for his team,” Finch said.

Because Edwards didn’t speak to the media, his actions are open for interpretation.

Is he frustrated with the team? Frustrated with Finch? With himself? All of the above? When the star player and leader of the team doesn’t speak after an incident like that, the silence leaves a vacuum for others to fill on his behalf.