Playoff prep: Anthony Edwards

Anthony Edwards used a new playoff video to show the work before the games: recovery, food, weight training and shooting drills. (youtube.com) The video description says Edwards gives “an exclusive look” at his recovery routine, nutrition program, training regimen and shooting work as he prepares for the postseason. It runs just over seven minutes on his YouTube channel. (youtube.com) That timing lines up with Minnesota opening its first-round series against Denver on Saturday, April 18, after finishing the regular season 49-33 as the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference. Denver finished 54-28 as the No. 3 seed, and the Nuggets won the season series 3-1. (nba.com) (espn.com) Edwards entered the playoffs as Minnesota’s top scorer at 28.8 points per game, with 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists, all listed on his NBA.com player page. NBA.com also listed him as questionable for Game 1 on April 17 because of knee injury management. (nba.com) Minnesota has reached the Western Conference finals in each of the last two years, and Edwards has averaged 26.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists across 31 playoff games in those runs. That recent postseason track record is part of why a prep-focused video lands differently in April than a standard offseason workout clip. (nba.com) The backdrop is a regular season that ended with questions about the Wolves’ edge and Edwards’ health. The Associated Press reported on April 15 that Edwards said the team had looked at times like it was “just trying to get through the season to get to the playoffs.” (wtop.com) That same report tied Edwards’ mindset to Kevin Garnett’s return to Target Center after eight years away, with Edwards saying Garnett’s presence gave the team energy before the playoffs. The video’s emphasis on routine and readiness fits that message more than a highlight reel would. (mprnews.org) (youtube.com) So the clip functions less as a recap than as a pregame document: a 24-year-old, four-time All-Star showing how he gets his body and shot ready before facing Nikola Jokić and Denver again. The basketball starts Saturday; the video is about everything that comes first. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)