After an uneven start to the new season, the Minnesota Timberwolves seem to have found their groove. They have now won their last four games, with their most recent victory being their most impressive one as they beat the Golden State Warriors, 107-90.

Anthony Edwards led the way for Minnesota with 30 points, four three-pointers, four rebounds, nine assists, a steal, and two blocks versus Golden State. Edwards was actually struggling leading up to this match, shooting a combined 15-of-48, equivalent to 31.3%, from the field over the first three wins of this ongoing winning streak.

This was actually Edwards’ first rough patch of the season in terms of shooting, but his struggles seem to have galvanized the rest of his teammates to step up. The timing of this Timberwolves winning streak is quite timely, as it has come right off the heels of Edwards’ comments that the team is soft.

Come their game against the Warriors, not only was each Minnesota player ready to contribute, but Edwards was back in his element as well. The night ended with what was arguably their most impressive win of the season so far. Each of their starters scored in double digits, did not miss a free throw, and recorded at least one steal, highlighting their impressive two-way effort as a team.

The Timberwolves’ record has now improved to 12-8 and though they are far off from last season’s pace where they occupied first place in the West for most of the regular season, all it takes is just one dominant streak of games to get them back in the hunt for the top seeds. They are only five games back of the Oklahoma City Thunder for first place in the Western Conference and at this point in time of the season, anything is still truly possible.

If anything, the challenging first few weeks of the season gave Edwards an opportunity to mature further and assert himself as one of the vocal leaders of this team. Though he is still only 23 years old, the fact that he is by far the most talented player on Minnesota’s roster means that the burden of leadership inevitably falls on him.

The two-time NBA All-Star has seen his scoring numbers go up to a career-high 26.4 points per game this season, though his field goal shooting, particularly on two-pointers, has taken quite a dip. He is shooting more three-pointers and at a better clip this season though and if he can keep this up, the threat of his perimeter shooting should eventually open things up on the inside for him. 

Difficult situations such as these are crucial in a superstar’s maturation process and Edwards should only emerge from this much better both on and off the court. The future of this Timberwolves franchise lies in Edwards’ hands and setbacks such as the team’s slow start to the season will only make his ascendance into one of the league’s top players sweeter.