Would Anthony Edwards' strong words after the loss against the Kings have an impact? That was the question surrounding the meeting between the Wolves and Clippers. The guard and his teammates were coming off four losses in a row and it was absolutely necessary to react. Doing it against a tough California team on defense wasn't the most obvious challenge.
“Oh yes. That's what I like. The guys didn't tell me anything, but they did things. This is what I want”, responds in the locker room Anthony Edwards to this question, after a match won by the Wolves but which was “a difficult match”he adds.
Can we even argue that the player and his gang were desperate and that this victory is therefore a form of relief? ” Downright. I hope so for everyone. It was for me”confirms the Olympic champion.
“It doesn’t matter if we are tired, or even exhausted, we must repeat these efforts”
Success is the main thing to remember as the Wolves needed to rediscover this feeling. But in terms of form, there was some not so good (21 lost balls) but also some good, with a solid defense. Naz Reid stuck two blocks at the start of the last quarter when Anthony Edwards stole balls with his pressure on the carrier.
“These are the actions that win matches”notes the latter. “We talked collectively about how we wanted to win and how we wanted to return to our defensive style. These are the things you have to do over and over again. No matter how tired or even exhausted we are, we must repeat these efforts. I asked the group after the match how much we wanted to win this match. If we want to win, we will have to do it every time we meet. Not one match, then not the other. »
This is why he set an example in the third quarter, with his activity and his stolen ball in front of James Harden. “I was on him, putting pressure on him. I wasn't tired, I didn't take any rest in defense. This will help the team win. We are like that: we are a defensive team”insists Anthony Edwards.
Rudy Gobert will “sleep well”
We need to remember this because it is no longer obvious. One figure demonstrates this well: against the Clippers, this is only the third time this season that the Wolves have limited their opponent to less than 100 points. Three occurrences in 19 meetings, or 15% of the time. That's far less than the frequency last season, when they were the best defense in the NBA and did it 23 times, or 28 percent of the time.
Will they be able to repeat these efforts over the long term as the rear demands? “I’m going to sleep well”reacts Rudy Gobert, who played 44 minutes including the entire last quarter and fought a big physical battle with Ivica Zubac, finishing with 12 rebounds.
“I will also sleep better knowing that I did my best every minute on the floor. I don't feel like I played 44 minutes, I was so focused and determined to win that I didn't feel anything,” concludes the Frenchman.
| Anthony Edwards | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2020-21 | MIN | 72 | 32 | 41.7 | 32.9 | 77.6 | 0.8 | 3.8 | 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 |
| 2023-24 | MIN | 79 | 35 | 46.1 | 35.7 | 83.6 | 0.7 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 5.1 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 0.5 | 25.9 |
| 2024-25 | MIN | 18 | 38 | 45.9 | 42.7 | 81.4 | 0.6 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 28.1 |
| Total | 320 | 35 | 44.7 | 36.0 | 79.4 | 0.7 | 4.5 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 23.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
