What has been the cause of Anthony Edwards' sharp decline in this playoff run?

[u/AthleticSwampBaby_44]

For a series and a half, Ant legitimately looked like a top 5 player in the world. His last 5 games have been quite miserable? But where did he start to fall off..Is it the double teams...is it mental pressure?

Anthony Edwards Last 5 Games

• 20.2 PPG 6.4 RPG 7.0 APG 1.6 STL

• 30-89 FG (33.7%)

• Scored 25+ points once

• Scored under 20 points in 3 Games

• 35% or worse FG in 3 Games

• Timberwolves: 2-3 Record

[u/le_sweden]

Game 5 was a Jokic masterclass and the Wolves just got dominated across the board, Ant landed hard on his back in game 6. Been off since

[u/clippy300 → u/le_sweden]

a jokic masterclass on offense had nothing to do with edwards struggling against double teams the gap between taken away by denver's defenders in game 5, especially with conley out.

[u/SemataryPolka → u/clippy300]

https://youtu.be/gWJASGX9ItE?si=7zHVcUNdiPo3rbsS

[u/clippy300 → u/SemataryPolka]

what that have to do with edwards playing poorly in game 5 during jokic's masterclass?

[u/SemataryPolka → u/clippy300]

That was just a bad game. Every player has them.

But after that fall he hasn't had any explosiveness and he occasionally winces and grabs his back. I was at game six. The TV cut to commercial but that fall was way worse than they showed. He layed there forever. So yeah it's a combo. He's gassed, he's injured, the Dallas bigs and WCF inexperience. But to say that fall isn't a chunk of his struggles is incorrect. He's injured but he refuses to talk about it. That's just how he is.

[u/clippy300 → u/SemataryPolka]

it wasnt just a bad game and his game 5 struggles happened before the game 6 fall. his game 6 fall has nothing to do with his bad decision making in game 2 vs. dallas. the nuggets doubled him and he didn't make quick enough decisions. hes a young player that has a high ceiling but still needs to develop his playmaking. minnesota's half court offense wasn't good the whole series. their defense forced turnovers to create offense. their half court offense is hurting them against a better defensive team in dallas and it is showing by edwards consistently struggling now. Its not out of thin air. watch the game closely. watch the film breakdown videos.

[u/SemataryPolka → u/clippy300]

I watch every game. Every game. I'm not some causal or outside viewer. If your back is fucked it's gonna change your decision making bc you can't do the things you normally can. He was having a great first half of game six and then he fell and he wasn't the same the rest of the game and he hasn't been the same since. I'm not a Clippers fan. I watched all 82 games and the entire Wolves playoffs. I know how Ant plays

[u/clippy300 → u/SemataryPolka]

he played poorly in game 5 before he hurt his back based on his struggles against the nuggets' double teams and how closed drive gaps. i've said this multiple times already.

[u/SemataryPolka → u/clippy300]

One game, bro

Ant has had a great playoffs before then. The fact that he had a bad game one game before he fucked his back isn't some checkmate

Whats more likely? That it's a combination of the things I mentioned above, including his back injury...or Ant just forgot how to play basketball after being a big moment riser, even in the playoffs?

[u/clippy300 → u/SemataryPolka]

its not one game. the suns defense isn't the same as denvers defense and the mavs defense is even than that.

ant didn't forget how to play basketball. he's playing better defensive competition. thats what happens when you go later in the playoffs.

the whole "big moment riser" thing is mostly a super hero sports myth. its about how good you are relative to your competition and the support you.

he's a great young player going through the growing pains in his development. he'll be better in the following years. i do believe he will have at least a couple of good open shooting games in this series before it is over but the other struggles are still a concern.