Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards reaps the benefits of getting to the rim more often

PORTLAND, ORE. – In the third quarter of Saturday's game against Portland, Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards looked like all he wanted to do was get the ball and attack the rim.

Edwards was on the second night of a back-to-back, and he has mentioned multiple times how he has struggled in those scenarios. His results against the Trail Blazers defied that history.

"Just come out aggressive, man. Just be myself, take my shots," Edwards said. "Don't think about it too much, just go out there and have fun."

He scored 13 points of his 26 points in the quarter and helped the Wolves build a 10-point lead in an eventual 124-118 loss. There was a purpose and determination to Edwards' drives to the basket that haven't always been there. He attacked relentlessly and didn't settle much from the outside.

Edwards is the most dynamic player on the roster in getting to the hoop, but to hear him talk about it last season, it sounded more like a chore. It was something he had to do for the good of the team, not because he relished it.

"That's what the coaching staff wants me to do is get to the rim," Edwards said. "I just try to do it as much as possible."

Maybe it's still a necessity more than a desire, but Edwards is attacking the rim more and relying less on his three-point shot.

Edwards is averaging 7.4 three-point attempts per game this season, and that number is down from 8.2. He is averaging 10.8 attempts from two-point range, up from 8.9.

Edwards has increased the percentage of shot attempts he takes between zero and three feet (28% to 32%) and between three feet and 10 feet (13% to 14%) according to Basketball Reference. His number of three-point attempts as a percentage of his overall shot mix has gone down to 40% from 48%.

"I'm just going. I'm not thinking about doing too many moves," Edwards said. "Just trying to play off the catch and play a little bit faster, I think."

Perhaps Edwards is attacking more because he is seeing greater success when it comes to scoring in the lane or close to the rim.

Edwards is shooting the same percentage from zero to three feet that he was a season ago (66%), but he has had more success from three to 10 feet that he did. That number is up to 42% from 36%. One negative development in Edwards' shot mix has been an increase in attempts on long twos, where he is taking 9% of his attempts between 16 feet and the three-point line, compared to only 5% last season. Edwards makes only 29% of those shots.

When the Wolves acquired center Rudy Gobert, they knew they were acquiring one of the best screeners in the NBA. Edwards has enjoyed coming off screens Gobert is setting.

"I love playing with him. He's super cool. It's fun being out there with him," Edwards said. "… They're great screens. [I'll] be wide open. It's super fun."

Coach Chris Finch said Gobert has had to learn how his teammates react to his screens, and that process has been improving of late for everyone.

"He's a great screener, and always been a great screener," Finch said. "It's just a matter of these guys understanding like, Ant comes off at one rhythm, D-Lo [D'Angelo Russell] comes off at another rhythm. Sometimes they want the screen held or they want it slipped. There's a lot of things that go into it. It takes a while to get that rhythm with somebody."