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RandBall: A humorous Anthony Edwards moment and a more serious Wolves problem

Anthony Edwards didn’t know the identity of Lakers player Jake LaRavia. The Wolves might not know their own identity.

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By Michael Rand

The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 30, 2025 at 4:32PM
Anthony Edwards and Jake LaRavia shared a comical moment Wednesday night, but the bigger issue was the Timberwolves playing uninspired basketball in a 116-115 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

With the Los Angeles Lakers ahead 105-89 in the fourth quarter at Target Center on Wednesday night, a Timberwolves fan shouted loudly in a mostly silent arena, “Who is No. 12?”

Injured Wolves star Anthony Edwards, sitting on the bench, replied: “That’s what I’m saying! I don’t know.”

It was Jake LaRavia, who was torching the Wolves on 10-for-11 shooting on the way to 27 points.

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It was a humorous exchange, to be sure, but it also underscored a serious problem for the Wolves.

They seem to be playing so far this season with an expectation that they can win rather than with the purpose needed to actually win.

The result is a 2-3 record.

They don’t know the identity of their opponents, but more pressing is the fact that they don’t know their own identity.

If you want to give the Wolves grace for Wednesday’s loss to the Lakers because Minnesota was missing Edwards and/or because the Wolves rallied to take a late lead before Austin Reaves beat them with a floater at the buzzer, please don’t.

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The Lakers were missing both of their superstars, LeBron James and Luka Doncic. The Wolves were the home team and heavy favorites. They thought they could sleepwalk through parts of the game before turning it on late.

It almost worked, but they got the result they deserved — something I talked about on Thursday’s Daily Delivery podcast amid a raft of concerns about various Minnesota teams.

The season is long, and it’s instructive to remember that the Wolves started 8-10 last year and were just 32-29 through 61 games before sprinting to the finish, securing a top-six spot at the last moment, and going on a surprising run to the conference finals that included a convincing series win over the Luka-and-LeBron Lakers.

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Reaves was a no-show in that series, hounded by various tenacious Wolves defenders.

The Wolves found their continuity and identity late last year. The expectation was that they would still have those features this year because so much of the roster carried over from a season ago.

I see evidence of the opposite so far.

Here are nine more things to know today:

  • The Twins on Thursday officially announced Derek Shelton as their new manager. He seems like a nice guy with a background that checks a lot of boxes. He was also the safest, most uninspiring choice the Twins could have made at a time when they should have gone the opposite direction. Are you excited for an era of pleasant mediocrity?
    • That said, La Velle E. Neal III’s piece on Shelton’s background is a good read and can help you form your own opinion.
      • Speaking of La Velle, he was my guest on Thursday’s podcast as we debated Vikings, baseball and Wild vs. Wolves topics.
        • We heard from Kevin O’Connell and Carson Wentz on Wednesday, as J.J. McCarthy returned to a full practice. Ben Goessling will help break it all down on Friday’s podcast.
          • Sunday’s Vikings game at Detroit feels pivotal in a big-picture way. In the short term, too, there’s this: The trade deadline is Tuesday, and the difference between being 3-5 or 4-4 could factor into what the Vikings decide to do.
            • The Blue Jays are a win away from taking the World Series after another impressive win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. I thought Toronto would lose the last two games after its 18-inning marathon defeat in Game 3. Instead, maybe the Blue Jays won’t lose at all?
              • Chip Scoggins catching up with Jerry Kill is always worth a read.
                • The generous way the NHL divides up wins, losses and overtime/shootout losses shouldn’t distract us from the fact that the Wild are 3-8.
                  • Lynx coach and top executive Cheryl Reeve was named to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
                    about the writer

                    about the writer

                    Michael Rand

                    Columnist / Reporter

                    Michael Rand is the Minnesota Star Tribune's Digital Sports Senior Writer and host/creator of the Daily Delivery podcast. In 25 years covering Minnesota sports at the Minnesota Star Tribune, he has seen just about everything (except, of course, a Vikings Super Bowl).

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