Elevating the Timberwolves: Julius Randle's Key to Success with Anthony Edwards

CHICAGO – Last season, one of the more intriguing storylines in the NBA was the comparison of Anthony Edwards to the legendary Michael Jordan. A few casual observations about their facial appearance and athletic abilities quickly ignited a discussion about whether the Minnesota Timberwolves' shooting guard could potentially become a Kia MVP candidate, a prominent figure in the league, and possibly a champion in the near future.

What went unasked, though, was this: If Edwards can be this millennium’s “Jordan,” who on this Timberwolves team will be his “Scottie Pippen?” For “Ant” truly to be like Mike, someone was going to have to be like Scottie.

(Please know that we’re not looking for a literal interpretation of Pippen, a Hall of Famer and one of the most versatile performers and tenacious defenders in NBA history. The question is simply, who will be Robin to Edwards’ Batman?)

After trading away Karl-Anthony Towns to New York, all eyes are on the acquisition they got in return: Julius Randle. The spotlight turns to Chicago tonight (8 ET, NBA TV) as the Wolves hope to kickstart a winning streak.

“I’ll let you guys put the expectations out there,” Randle told NBA.com after a recent practice at the Wolves facility in downtown Minneapolis. “I just told him from Day 1, I’m here to help him. He’s a special, special talent. An incredible player. He’s so young and he has so much he can continue to get better.”

Certainly, it would be indelicate for Randle to nominate himself for the role. He’s the new guy on an accomplished team, eager to fit in and just help. He doesn’t have the defensive chops to team with Edwards as the anywhere-on-the-floor stoppers the Bulls’ duo were.

‘It’s been great from the beginning’

Randle does have some “point forward” skills and, still a few weeks shy of his 30th birthday (Nov. 29), Randle is in or near his prime. He has a coach in Chris Finch he fully respects and responds to, too, dating back to the single 2018-19 season they shared in New Orleans when the 6-foot-8, 250-pound Randle was still finding his way through the league and Finch was Alvin Gentry’s offensive coordinator with the Pelicans.

“He’s the same player, in terms of his skill,” Finch said before the Wolves faced Dallas last week in a Western Conference finals rematch. “He has a little better idea of what he’s going to do. A lot of young players put their heads down and go. He certainly has the confidence and maturity of somebody who has accomplished a lot.

“When we had him in New Orleans, it was a contract year. Like a lot of young players, he was anxious about his future. Now he has proven who he is. Very mature and willing to do anything to win right now.”

Comfortable on the brink of training camp that Finch valued Randle’s game and knew how to deploy him, Tim Connelly, Minnesota’s president of basketball operations, hit the button that sent Towns to New York for Randle and guard Donte DiVincenzo.

The team had just spent the better part of two seasons melding perennial Kia Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert to Towns in an ambitious throwback “Twin Towers” alignment. The process had been fraught with doubt, teases, and frustration until it clicked in full last spring and propelled the Wolves to the West finals.

That matched the longest postseason run in franchise history. Their 56 regular-season victories were their second-most (58 in 2003-04). Towns’ work as a 3-point proficient power forward earned his fourth All-Star appearance. Gobert won his fourth DPOY. Edwards blazed across the NBA sky. And Finch landed third in Coach of the Year balloting.

To blow up that combo as they seemingly were hitting their stride felt, well, a little impulsive. Or driven by payroll, cap management and luxury tax implications rather than what the team had done and still could do on the court.

That’s where Finch, Randle and their 365 days together in New Orleans came in.

“It’s been great from the beginning,” Randle said. “Once the trade happened — other than the shock of it and figuring out our living situation in Minnesota with the move and kids — as far as the basketball aspect, there was no other coach in the league I wanted to play for than Finch. I love Finch that much and trust his ability that much.”

Imagine being young, taking a new job in an unfamiliar city, but having the comfort of a boss familiar from a previous stop.

“I don’t know, we hit it off right away,” Randle said. “He made it simple for me and, up until that point, I had the best year of my career. I’ve had All-Star [selections] and things since then, but I feel like I played my best basketball under him.

“He gave me a lot of opportunity. He put me in great situations. As a young player, he really built my confidence up. … He’s been a true essential.”

Wolves, Randle try to fit in together

Injuries and some criticism for who or what he wasn’t had stuck to Randle with previous teams. The Lakers drafted him with the No. 7 pick in 2014, but didn’t have success, then renounced his contract rights to clear space for LeBron James in 2018. Randle signed a one-year contract with the Pelicans, blossomed with Finch’s tutelage, developed a 3-point game and earned the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award in 2021.

From there it was on to New York, where he established himself as an All-Star in 2021, ’23 and ’24, until a shoulder injury shut him down midway through last season.

Finch brought Minnesota media and fans up to speed quickly on Randle’s value, emphasizing his abilities on the perimeter and in the open court to complement his old-school, back-to-the-basket game.

Said Randle: “I’ve always believed in being inside-out. I know the game is trending toward more 3-pointers, but my bread and butter always has been being able to get to the rim. Dominate the paint.

“As the years passed, I’ve been able to develop to where I can shoot outside jump shots and 3-pointers. But that’s not what I rely on. Just knowing who I am and playing to my strengths, that usually opens up the rest of my game.”

At 4-3, the Wolves are adjusting to their new manpower and rotations. Their defensive ranking has slipped from No. 1 last season to No. 12, their net rating from 6.3 to 2.5.

Randle has delivered as expected, though. At 21.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 4.7 apg, he’s at or above most of his career numbers. And at 46.4% from the arc, he — and DiVincenzo, and with Edwards seeking more 3-pointers — have made up for Towns’ lost 3-pointers.

It took one game, and Randle’s tentative play in the opener against the Lakers in L.A., for the Wolves to figure out how to best blend their ways with the new guys.

“We told him after game one,” Finch said, “‘You do your thing and we will fit in around you. We need to see you doing your thing and get comfortable with what that is.’ He spent most of the preseason and certainly game one against the Lakers kind of trying to ‘defer, defer.’

“He’s at the point now where he’s going to make the right play 90% of the time. So we trust him. ‘Just do your thing and we’ll figure it out. We’ll play off you and as we go we’ll find an equilibrium.’”

Randle ready to make his mark

Edwards and the others have assured Randle he doesn’t need to worry about stepping on toes stylistically or in ball-centricity. His usage rate so far is 24.3, down from the 29.0 he posted in five Knicks seasons but better than his Lakers years.

Said veteran point guard Mike Conley: “Julius is a great guy to get aggressively downhill as well as Ant. Jayden gets easier looks. Rudy does what he does and I do what I do, but guys just have to continue to play with that aggression.”

Randle has said the right things about Minnesota, generally sounds at peace and is eager to make a sustained postseason run after appearing only twice with New York. Having played 648 regular-season games and 15 playoff games, he wants to improve that ratio and perform a bit better (17.1 ppg, 34.4% shooting) in the postseason.

“I’m a Texas boy, from Dallas, so I’m used to having a lot of space,” he said of Minnesota’s outdoorsy setting. “Just being able to drive places and get your four seasons – it’s fall and it’s beautiful right now. It gets cold, I know, but I’m just used to simplicity.”

As far as providing Edwards with an All-Star sidekick, Randle knows it would be heresy to drop the name Pippen or self-nominate. This Minnesota roster isn’t built like those Bulls teams — no No. 1 and No. 2 surrounded by a capable supporting cast. It’s much more of an ensemble around Edwards, who either will prove he’s ready at age 23 to carry an NBA team to the conference finals and beyond or demonstrate he’s not.

“I’m just here to help him, try to maximize his talent and make the game easier for him,” Randle said. “Because he already do that for me.”

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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.

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