It's been a frustrating start to the 2024-25 season for the Minnesota Timberwolves. After controlling the Western Conference's top seed for nearly all of the 2023-24 season, Minnesota has struggled to adjust to life without Karl-Anthony Towns and is 7-6 through its first 13 games. Spacing has become so cramped for the Timberwolves that star shooting guard Anthony Edwards has completely changed his shot diet. He's taking three fewer 2-pointers per game this season, but five more 3-pointers.
That lack of space caused some problems for Edwards in Friday's game against the Sacramento Kings. With 3:15 remaining in the first quarter, Edwards drove into traffic only to find three Kings waiting for him at the basket, including backup point guard Jordan McLaughlin. Edwards tried to pass out of the paint, but he barreled over McLaughlin in the process. That got him called for a charge, and he didn't take it well. Edwards was seen giving an official the middle finger afterward. Now, Edwards has to pay up for that choice. The NBA fined him $35,000 on Sunday for doing so.
This is the first time Edwards has been fined for something that happened during game action, but far from his first discipline from the league office. He has been fined on multiple occasions for criticizing officiating, and after the Denver Nuggets knocked the Timberwolves out of the 2023 postseason, he was docked $50,000 for swinging a chair that struck two bystanders at the arena.
Regardless of the circumstances that led to the charge, the Timberwolves need Edwards to maintain his composure in such situations. He is now their only offensive superstar, and his actions set a tone for the entire team. Fortunately, at least during the game itself, this was only a momentary lapse. Edwards scored 36 points and helped hold off De'Aaron Fox in a 60-point performance to give Minnesota the 130-126 victory.