How can the Timberwolves beat Dallas if Anthony Edwards can't shoot?

Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals raised a question that was both hypothetical and philosophical: Can the Timberwolves win their first NBA championship if their best player shoots like he's wearing mitts?

Anthony Edwards is the Timberwolves' rising star and one of the best young players in the world. Friday night at Target Center, he continued a three-game trend of denting rims and committing concussions, making just five of his 17 attempts from the field in the Timberwolves' 109-108 loss to Dallas.

Right now, Edwards is a more effective spokesperson for winter gear than his new basketball shoes.

“He needs to get his decision-making back,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said.

In Game 7 of the conference semifinals in Denver, Edwards made six of 24 shots, but the Wolves beat the defending champion Nuggets.

In Game 1 of the Conference Finals, Edwards made six of 16 shots, one of the reasons the Wolves lost a close game.

In Game 2, the money would have been on him to resurrect his offensive game.

Instead, Edwards continued to shoot and react poorly. In his last three games, he has shot a tick under 30 percent.

He looked tired again, although he said after the match that he felt good. He finished with 21 points, largely because he hit nine of 10 free throws. He also contributed five rebounds, seven assists and one block.

Edwards committed two turnovers, both in the second half, and finished a team-worst minus-9 on the team.

“They just show me crowds, man,” he said. “They throw gaps. But I turn down a lot of shots. My mids and stuff, I turn away a lot of them. But we have open looks, so I don't trip.”

In the NBA, defense matters, as the Wolves have proven this season. Passing, ball handling, coaching, teamwork… it all counts.

Nothing is more important than taking pictures.

That's why players call it a “make or break league.”

Over the last three games, Edwards hasn't been able to reach Lake Superior with a walleye.

In Game 7 in Denver, he made enough plays, offensively and defensively, to make up for a poor shooting night.

In the first game against Dallas, he looked exhausted and admitted that he was.

In Game 2, whether he was tired or not, he missed shots and struggled to read the Mavericks defense.

The Wolves need him to climb into a hyperbaric chamber or time machine before Sunday night's Game 3 in Dallas.

“He needs to do more in transition,” Finch said. “He has to come out [and run]. … I thought he started the game with good momentum and was going downhill really well. This really disappeared as the game progressed.

“He went for it a few times. I thought he could do more. I thought he turned down some open looks, too.”

Expecting a 22-year-old to have his first deep playoff run to handle pressure and save energy like a veteran might be unfair, but it's what the Wolves need they want to make this the most successful season in franchise history.

Edwards has spent the last three games saying he should be called more fouls, but he often does so as the play continues on the other end of the court.

He may be right about the way he's officiated, but his arguments are hurting his team, and Kyrie Irving's speed and defensive intensity obviously bothers him.

The Wolves have two offensive stars in their starting lineup: Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns. In the fourth quarter, Edwards struggled and Towns only played three minutes, as the coaching staff decided to play Naz Reid against Towns.

At the end of the game, Luka Doncic, who made the game-winning three-pointer, yelled toward the Wolves bench as Edwards walked by, head down.

Edwards glanced back, then lowered his head and headed toward the tunnel. He said he saw a light at the end.

“I feel like if we come out of Game 3 and try to minimize the game plan mistakes,” he said, “I think we’ll win this game.”