He entered the Western Conference Finals twice at the age of 23! Edwards was strong and hard enough, but coach Fincher pointed out his fatal shortcomings!

The Timberwolves ended their 39-day playoff journey with a crushing defeat. Although the West Finals lost to the Thunder, Huazi's overall performance was praised by head coach Finch!

Finci said in an interview with the media that "At the age of 23, he has reached the Western Conference Finals twice, and he has been able to deal with various tactics and defensive strategies."

Indeed, this year's playoff Timberwolves almost staged a Black Six miracle. First, he eliminated the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 in the first round, and then defeated the Golden State Warriors 4-1 in the second round. However, he encountered the Thunder, who had 68 wins and the first defensive efficiency in the league, and finally lost the game. However, it is worth mentioning that this is the second time Huazi led the team to the Western Conference Finals!

However, Finch also mentioned that if Huazi wants to become a real star, he must make up for a shortcoming - that is, he must learn to play smarter, especially at critical moments, and the ability to "hit the ball" for fouls!

Huazi averaged 25.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game in the playoffs this season. His style is not only strong but also strong. Those unreasonable and difficult layups, rushing in and dunking, and having a life-long defense are indeed convinced. Although he didn't win in the Western Conference Finals, he also proved that he was a tough guy.

But the problem still arises. In the 23-24 season, the West Finals lost 4-1 to the Mavericks, and in the 24-25 season, the West Finals lost 4-1 to the Thunder. The two core players on the opposite side, Doncic and Alexander, have one thing in common, that is, "making fouls"!

Alexander averaged 9.2 free throws per game, Doncic averaged 7.4 free throws per game, while Edwards only averaged 5.8 free throws per game. Compared with these top scorers, Edwards is somewhat less interesting. The current NBA rules are obviously to encourage offensive players to actively create physical contact and get foul free throws. Although Huazi may not like this style of play and thinks it is not a "tough guy" enough, this trick is really useful! Especially when the hand feels bad, it (foul) will help you, at least the data on the surface will be much better!

Especially in the last few minutes of the game, when the score was tight, Huazi's hit rate dropped significantly (the effective hit rate in the last 5 minutes was only about 42.3%). At critical moments, hard chiseling alone is sometimes not enough.

So next season, Huazi will evolve into a complete body, and the highlight is this "smart spirit"!

1. It means learning to "hit the car" reasonably, add points to the rhythm changes when breaking through, or take the initiative to find some contact when shooting step back, and turn the opponent's defense into your own free throw opportunity. If you practice this trick well, you will be much easier to score.

2. The key ball handling needs to be more calm. Is it a strong breakthrough in the moment of life and death? Is it an emergency stop jump shot? Or do you believe your teammates pass the ball? You have to choose more reasonably, reduce those difficult forced shots, and improve the efficiency of key balls.

3. When you are the boss, you should be more "thief". You should not be stubborn. You should attract double-teams by yourself. You must be able to find teammates in the open faster and more accurately, so that your opponents dare not double-team at will, and convert your personal abilities into the firepower of the entire team.

Finch's speech at the season summary meeting is not criticism, but more like expectations. Huazi has used his talent and toughness to bring the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals. When he really combines this ruthlessness with the wisdom of the game, will this young Timberwolves be far from the step of winning the championship?