Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards learns the No. 1 pick is still reffed like a rookie

Part of adjusting to life in the NBA is learning what calls officials are going to give you and which ones they aren't. Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards is getting a crash course in that.

Following the Wolves' 108-97 loss at Atlanta on Monday, Edwards responded to a question about trying to snap out of a recent funk by saying he has been expecting to get more calls when he drives to the hoop.

"I feel like every time I go to the rim, I get fouled," said the 19-year-old, who scored 12 points playing in his hometown. "So, therefore, I could get it going through the free-throw line, but I don't get any foul calls. But as far as knocking down jump shots, it's going to come. I never really press about stuff like that."

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft said he hasn't talked much with officials about it during the games, even if he is puzzled at times.

"I don't really do too much complaining to the refs or anything," Edwards said. "I just be surprised they don't call it. But the stuff that they do call be crazy. I just live with it, keep playing."

Even though Edwards was an inefficient 5-for-16, Monday marked an improvement over his previous two games, when he shot a combined 1-for-14. He also played 30 minutes after playing 35 combined in the past two. That extended time helped him regain the touch on his shot, he said.

"I feel like I kind of found my jump shot. When you're out there for a long time, you kinda get the feel of things. But when it's not a long time, you gotta come out and be aggressive and be ready."

The Hawks were not allowing fans into State Farm Arena but they were allowing friends and family to enter. Multiple Wolves players, such as Edwards, Josh Okogie and Malik Beasley, have roots in the Atlanta area.

With NBA protocols, the Wolves can't see their families on the road, since the league is not allowing them to leave their hotels for non-basketball related purposes, but those players did get to see their loved ones from a distance Monday.

"It was a blessing," Edwards said. "I was happy to play in front of a couple friends, some family. Just see my people out there supporting me. But we can't really see or talk to anybody. So, it don't really feel real."

• Okogie disappeared for stretches of the second half and played only 22 minutes, but he didn't have an injury. Coach Ryan Saunders said Okogie was mirroring the minutes of Atlanta's Trae Young, since that was Okogie's defensive assignment. So when Young got in foul trouble, Okogie rested. "We were saving his minutes," Saunders said.

• With the Wolves thin in the frontcourt, rookie Jaden McDaniels saw his first significant action of the season. The No. 28 overall pick in the draft played 12 minutes and had three points. "Like [Saunders] tells me every day just be ready, be ready," McDaniels said. "You never know when your opportunity is going to come so I'm staying ready."