“Pressure? No not at all. I like this game, it’s fun for me. I go out there, and I do what I love. I work for it every day, so there is no pressure at all”.
After a difficult first half against the Montenegrins on Friday (37-38), the Americans did not give in to panic and were able to count on a Anthony Edwards hungry to clear things up.
And after a zero point after 20 minutes of play, “Ant-Man” completely reversed the trend, notably scoring four baskets in the third quarter before finishing the job five minutes from the end, with a shot at 3 -points followed by a malicious interception on Nikola Vucevic concluded by a dunk. It took a few flashes of genius from his rear to pull Team USA out.
Once again, the compliments flowed after the new remarkable performance of the rising star of Wolves, author of 17 points in 27 minutes.
“He’s a guy you rely on to generate offense and he had a tough first half. But he put in his first shot of the third quarter,” recalled Steve Kerrwho knew that everything was going to change from that moment on. “He’s one of those guys who stays confident regardless of what’s going on for them and for the team. We always know that he will continue to attack, to be aggressive”.
And Anthony Edwards to outbid: “I knew from the start that we were going to win”.
Leader of Team USA at 22
With the number 10 on his shoulders inherited from a certain Kobe Bryant, the player knows he is expected but has responded so far, on and off the field, with a smile and relaxation, just that!
From the beginning of the preparation, he had been designated as the unofficial captain of the team, in addition to being the number 1 weapon of the American workforce. A status that he still finds difficult to accept even if he stands out from the competition, whether in basketball or leadership, by example first, and then words.
” It’s a team sport “, he said. “If I wanted to bulge and hit my chest, I’d go play golf, tennis or swim like Michael Phelps, an individual sport. But it takes five players to win a basketball game.”
His teammates also seem won over, as testified by Austin Reaves, the Lakers player who praised the simplicity and extraordinary offensive talent of Anthony Edwards, especially after his peak at 34 points against Germany in a friendly, when he caught fire on a few late game anthology baskets.
“He just wants to play basketball, have fun and win. I think that’s all that matters.”pointed out Austin Reaves. ” That’s wonderful. I told him, after his baseline shot after a double fake (against Germany), that was maybe one of the best shots I’ve seen in person. Simply in relation to the degree of difficulty. I say it loud and clear: I can’t put this kind of shot. There are only a few people in the league who can put that shot.
We do not yet know if there will be a before and after the World Cup for Anthony Edwards. But what is certain is that he will have marked the spirits of his teammates and his coaches, including Erik Spoelstra, who has yet seen others, but who sees the back of Minnesota settling in the world basketball landscape for a while.
“We have amazing basketball players on this team. This is the future of the NBA. future stars. The list goes on and on, but Anthony Edwards will become a household name. He already is”concluded the coach.
| Anthony Edwards | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2020-21 | MIN | 72 | 32 | 41.7 | 32.9 | 77.6 | 0.8 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 19.3 |
| 2021-22 | MIN | 72 | 34 | 44.1 | 35.7 | 78.6 | 0.9 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 21.3 |
| 2022-23 | MIN | 79 | 36 | 45.9 | 36.9 | 75.6 | 0.6 | 5.2 | 5.8 | 4.4 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 24.6 |
| Total | 223 | 34 | 44.1 | 35.2 | 77.0 | 0.8 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 3.8 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 21.8 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
