Insider Notices Changes in Anthony Edwards During China Tour That Addresses Pressing Timberwolves Concern

In just 5 years, Anthony Edwards has elevated himself into the face of the league conversation. From box office dunks to never backing down from any player personality, plus back-to-back Conference finals, is why the fans gravitate towards Ant-Man. But to take the flag away from LeBron James at the top is not easy, and the Timberwolves superstar has the tools in his locker room to make that ascent. In fact, he has been working with a new approach, and the result of which is visible.

On the new episode of the Jon Krawczynski show, we got the details. “I guess the one thing to mention is that Anthony Edwards is in China right now… And it’s been kind of fun to watch him engage with the Chinese fans and see that. But one of the things that I will just say… I had heard this, but it only kind of underscored what I had heard is he looks, Ant looks really lean. I know that he’s been working on his body.” A leaner and meaner Edwards could be a problem for the league.

“Think he is trying to work on getting himself into the very best physical shape that he can get into so he does not wear downs. He does not get tired, even on deep playoff runs. And you can, you can just see it. You can see the difference in his body. Just even watching his appearances in China, it’s just, he looks like he’s got, you know, a little more muscle definition, definitely leaner. And he’s kind of trying to set up to have a big year coming into your sixth year.”

We heard in the past comments from the 24-year-old star that he was tired or gassed out during the run in the postseason. During the live broadcast of Game 1 of the 2023-24 NBA Western Conference Finals between the Mavericks and the Wolves, cameras highlighted Edwards’ exhaustion, capturing him saying, “Jaden, you got Kyrie, I’m tired, man.” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noted, “Edwards had to work extremely hard to create space for himself throughout Game 1.”

This moment was later echoed by Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski, who pointed to Edwards’ own admission about conditioning: “I saw an interview with Ant. He just talked about how out of shape he was last year in the playoffs and the only way you can train for something like that is to kind of go through it.”

And go through it he did. Edwards and company sent the Warriors packing in just five games, with his physical dominance leaving little doubt that last year’s struggles had fueled this year’s breakout.

But a change in his physical might gives the fan the hope that their superstar is addressing his issues the right way. Because the physical toll on his body surely affects his performance. In the very series after upsetting the Warriors, against the younger Thunder squad in the Conference finals this season, his average dropped to just 23 points per game. In fact, he failed to hit the 20-point barrier in three of the five game series.

His shooting woes also affected his sniping from long range, as his shooting 3-point average also dropped to less than 20 percent in three games in the WCF. Being the superstar of the team comes with its perks and cons. The 3x All-Star played the most minutes for the Wolves during regular and postseason, which is expected of him. But a drop in performance is not what the fans or the front office are looking at.

Anthony Edwards continues to make good on his promise

Taking down LeBron James and Stephen Curry in back-to-back series is what Edwards achieved during the last postseason. Against Shai-Gilgeous Alexander, this wasn’t the case. In the decisive Game 5, Edwards had 19 points, but it was not enough. The Timberwolves simply ran out of answers and the WCF. But losing by 30 points surely had an impact on his mindset as he revealed his offseason plans early.

“I’m going to work my bu– off this summer,” he told reporters, insisting his response would be relentless. He added, “Nobody’s going to work harder than me this summer. I’ll tell you that much.” He backed those words with a Michael Jordan approach. Remember when the Bulls legend added 15 pounds of muscle in just one summer to deal with the Bad Boys? It seems Anthony Edwards is using that method. Wolves post a short video, which becomes a reminder for the other teams.

Notably, during their time as teammates at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Edwards was impressed by Curry’s rigorous training regimen. He described Curry’s combination of high-volume shooting and intense cardio workouts as “unreal and underrated” for a player of his age. Observing Curry’s commitment to taking numerous practice shots influenced Edwards to modify his own workout routine. For example, Edwards adopted the habit of stretching before shooting drills—something he hadn’t previously prioritized—after witnessing Curry’s disciplined approach.

The short video showed him in improved conditioning and lifting weights with purpose. The fear of falling short again is making him do the right things. But one must also understand that putting on extra muscle takes a toll on athleticism. Now, will that be the case with Ant-Man? Only time will tell.