Anthony Edwards’ Ejection Leads to Suspension
Anthony Edwards may not seek to be the face of the NBA, but he is undoubtedly the face of the Minnesota Timberwolves. With that role comes responsibility, and the 23-year-old superstar must improve—not necessarily in basketball skills, but in emotional discipline.
In a recent loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Edwards picked up two technical fouls, leading to his ejection in the third quarter. Entering the game with an NBA-high 14 technical fouls, he has now reached the league’s suspension threshold of 16. Unless the NBA rescinds one of the calls—an unlikely scenario—Edwards will be suspended for the Timberwolves’ next game against the Utah Jazz. Moving forward, every two additional technical fouls he receives will result in another one-game suspension.
Pattern of Technical Fouls Continues
Since the All-Star break, Edwards has accumulated four technical fouls in four games. He received two in consecutive matchups against the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder for arguing with officials, a recurring theme in his technical fouls this season. Against the Lakers, he and former teammate Jarred Vanderbilt were assessed double technicals after a brief shoving match between the first and second quarters.
Later, in the third quarter, Edwards picked up his second technical of the night while arguing what he believed was a missed foul call by the Lakers’ Gabe Vincent, who appeared to make leg contact with him. Official Brent Barnaky quickly assessed the technical foul. In a postgame pool report, crew chief James Williams explained that the ejection was due to “directing profanity towards the game official.”
“Just call the [blocking foul] and nothing happens,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said. “Clearly, it was a block.”
Finch and Conley Call for Emotional Discipline
Despite Finch’s frustration with the officiating, he acknowledged that Edwards must handle these situations better. Missed calls happen, but Edwards’ emotional reactions and outbursts have repeatedly led to costly technical fouls.
“He’s gotta be better,” Finch said. “He’s had too many outbursts. I think a lot of [the technicals] are deserved. They’re gonna miss some calls from time to time, for sure. So he’s gotta be better, and we’ve been talking to him about it. It’s on him.”
Edwards now leads the NBA with 16 technical fouls, three more than Houston’s Dillon Brooks. The All-Star with the second-most is Atlanta’s Trae Young, who has 10. Only nine players in the league have received more than seven technicals this season. Edwards’ frequent reactions to perceived missed calls have not only resulted in technicals but have also impacted his transition defense.
Following his ejection, Edwards threw the ball into the stands in frustration, which could further reduce the chances of his second technical being rescinded.
The Road Ahead for Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves
At just 23 years old, Edwards is still young, but he is in his fifth NBA season. As the face of the Timberwolves and an emerging star in the league, these incidents must be addressed—especially with every game carrying significant weight for the 32–28 Timberwolves.
Veteran guard Mike Conley, the team’s oldest player, said Edwards apologized to the team after the game. He echoed Finch’s sentiment that Edwards must exercise better control.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who get emotional when things don’t go the right way individually, and it can hurt our team as a whole,” Conley said. “Ant has to be better, he knows that. He apologized to me when I came back to talk to him, and he apologized to the team. He knows he’s gotta be better for us. All of us—myself, Jaden, Naz, and anybody else—need to set aside emotions and find a way to stick together right now.
“A lot of teams are fighting right now. They’re fighting for positioning, they’re fighting for playoff spots, and we can’t let small things get in the way of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Originally posted by Will Ragatz | Sports Illustrated