By Rob Andrew Dongiapon, 2026-08-15 18:00:00
在2024年和2025年连续打进西部决赛后，明尼苏达森林狼队今年退步了，而俄克拉荷马雷霆队和圣安东尼奥马刺队则通过七场大战，争夺一个晋级NBA总决赛的名额。
安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 和森林狼队在季后赛次轮以2-4的比分被马刺队淘汰。随后，圣安东尼奥在西部决赛中击败了俄克拉荷马，但在总决赛中以1-4不敌最终夺得NBA总冠军的纽约尼克斯队。
如今，明尼苏达正在重组阵容。上个月，森林狼队完成了一笔重磅交易，得到了全明星后卫拉梅洛·鲍尔 (LaMelo Ball)，让他与爱德华兹搭档，组成了全新面貌的后场。
对爱德华兹而言，此举或许终于能给明尼苏达提供足够的火力，去击败那些一直阻挡他们前进的球队。
“面对这两支球队，我认为我们会击败他们，”爱德华兹在访问马尼拉期间接受ESPN采访，谈到森林狼队对阵雷霆队和马刺队的前景时说道。
在前往菲律宾之前，爱德华兹与森林狼队以及他们的新援（包括鲍尔和乔什·格林 (Josh Green)）一起在法国度过了一段时间。在鲍尔的交易中，格林是送往夏洛特黄蜂队的筹码之一，在这笔交易中，明尼苏达还送出了全能大个子纳兹·里德 (Naz Reid)。
爱德华兹亲自组织了这次旅行，在下个月训练营开始前，除了全队合练之外，他还带队游览了巴黎最著名的地标。
充实的一周
pic.twitter.com/3KK9G2C15y
— 鲁迪·戈贝尔 (Rudy Gobert) (@rudygobert27) 2026年8月12日
“我把大家都带上了，整个团队，”他说。
这个时机再好不过了。随着几张新面孔加入阵容，森林狼队需要时间来建立化学反应。
休赛期伊始，明尼苏达放弃了上赛季仅次于爱德华兹的第二得分手朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle)，将他送至布鲁克林篮网队以换取一个次轮签。老将后卫迈克·康利 (Mike Conley) 也在自由市场离队加盟波士顿凯尔特人队，而凯尔·安德森 (Kyle Anderson) 则签约了多伦多猛龙队。
与此同时，森林狼队以一年合同签下了老将空间型球员特雷·莱尔斯 (Trey Lyles)，并与阿约·多苏穆 (Ayo Dosunmu) 和杰伦·克拉克 (Jaylen Clark) 续签了多年合同。
森林狼队在爱德华兹和鲍尔身边依然拥有一套扎实的配角阵容，包括杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels)、戈贝尔、多苏穆以及小泰伦斯·香农 (Terrence Shannon Jr.) 等人。鉴于他们薄弱的前场深度，球队还可能在未来几周内增添更多拼图。
这正值明尼苏达争冠窗口的关键节点。雷霆队渴望重新夺回NBA总冠军。马刺队刚刚打进NBA总决赛，并且似乎很快就将迎来巅峰期。
这两支球队虽然年轻，但已经在连续两个季后赛中将爱德华兹和森林狼队送回家了。
明尼苏达在2025年西部决赛中以1-4不敌谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) 领衔的俄克拉荷马，随后维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 和圣安东尼奥在今年次轮终结了他们的季后赛之旅。
但爱德华兹并没有看得那么远。
随着鲍尔和几位新成员的加入，这位森林狼队球星深知，在谈论任何夺冠话题之前，必须先建立起化学反应。
“（赢得总冠军）将意味着很多……但眼下，我认为我们还没有考虑夺冠的事，”爱德华兹说道，“这是一步一步来的。我们迎来了拉梅洛，一个新球员，还有一堆新拼图。”
“所以，我们只是在努力共同建设，我想我们正在努力将一切融合在一起。”
上赛季，爱德华兹在进攻端扛起了明尼苏达，在61场常规赛中场均贡献28.8分、5.0个篮板和3.7次助攻。
在季后赛期间，他还承担了更多的控球后卫职责。
如今，身边有了鲍尔，爱德华兹并不认为自己会变成一个不同的球员。
“这就是我最棒的地方。我依然会是原来的那个我。”
由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
查看原文：Anthony Edwards backs Minnesota Timberwolves to beat Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs
Anthony Edwards backs Minnesota Timberwolves to beat Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs
After reaching the Western Conference finals in 2024 and 2025, the Minnesota Timberwolves took a step back this year as the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs battled through a seven-game series for a spot in the NBA Finals.
Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves were eliminated by the Spurs in six games in the second round of the playoffs. San Antonio then knocked out Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals before falling to eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in five games.
Now, Minnesota is retooling. The Timberwolves pulled off a blockbuster trade for All-Star guard LaMelo Ball last month, pairing him with Edwards to form a new-look backcourt.
For Edwards, the move could finally give Minnesota enough firepower to get past the teams that have stood in its way.
“Against those two teams, I think we’re going to beat them,” Edwards told ESPN about the Timberwolves’ chances against the Thunder and Spurs during his visit to Manila.
Before traveling to the Philippines, Edwards spent time in France with the Timberwolves and their new additions, including Ball and Josh Green. Green was part of the package sent to the Charlotte Hornets in the Ball trade, which also saw Minnesota give up versatile big man Naz Reid.
Edwards organized the trip himself, bringing the team around Paris’ most famous landmarks on top of team workouts ahead of training camp next month.
Solid week
— Rudy Gobert (@rudygobert27) August 12, 2026
“I’m taking with me everybody, the whole gang,” he said.
The timing could not have been better. With several new faces joining the roster, the Timberwolves needed time to build chemistry.
At the start of the offseason, Minnesota moved on from Julius Randle, its secondary scorer behind Edwards last season, sending him to the Brooklyn Nets for a second-round pick. Veteran guard Mike Conley also left in free agency for the Boston Celtics while Kyle Anderson signed with the Toronto Raptors.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves added veteran floor-spacer Trey Lyles on a one-year deal while re-signing Ayo Dosunmu and Jaylen Clark to multi-year contracts.
The Timberwolves will still have a solid supporting cast around Edwards and Ball, including Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, Dosunmu and Terrence Shannon Jr., among others. The team could also add more pieces in the next few weeks, given their thin frontcourt depth.
This comes at a pivotal point in Minnesota’s championship window. The Thunder are hungry to reclaim the NBA championship. The Spurs just reached the NBA Finals and seemed to be peaking soon.
Both teams, as young as they are, have already sent Edwards and the Timberwolves home in consecutive postseasons.
Minnesota fell to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City in five games in the 2025 Western Conference Finals before Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio ended their run in the second round this year.
But Edwards is not looking that far ahead.
With Ball and several new pieces joining the fold, the Timberwolves star knows chemistry must come before any championship talk.
“It would mean a lot [to win a championship]… But right now, I don’t think we’re thinking about winning the championship,” Edwards said. “It’s step by step. We got LaMelo, a new player, and a bunch of new pieces.”
“So, we are just trying to build it together and I think we’re trying to gel it all together.”
Edwards carried Minnesota offensively last season, averaging 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 61 regular-season games.
He also took on more point guard duties during the playoffs.
Now, with Ball beside him, Edwards does not expect to become a different player.
“That’s the best part about me. I will still be the same person.”
By Rob Andrew Dongiapon, via ESPN