The defeat against the Celtics had frustrated Anthony Edwards. Not only for the final result, but above all for his performance, very discreet that evening. The fault lies with two of the reigning champions at the back of Wolves. Forced to pass more and shoot less, his game was modified and lost its essence and its qualities: dribbling, penetration, rhythm.
After having spent his nerves on the Pistons, with 53 points, his personal best, but in a defeat, it was necessary to add the victory to this little revival. It will be against the Clippers, with 37 points at 14/29 shooting, 6/13 at 3-pts, 8 assists and 7 rebounds. Which gives 90 points in two matches…
“I think after his comments about not just passing, he's very aware of his situation. He arrived at training last Friday to tell us that he had to be himself, not let that dominate him, find the joy of playing again, be aggressive and not worry about what the defense is going to give him “, tell Chris Finch. “He’s strong enough to handle all that.” You have to sift things through, it's a sign of mental strength. He knew he had to make things right. »
Don't think too much and act faster
Anthony Edwards is perhaps the symbol or the barometer of this Minnesota team, always too irregular since the start of the season, sometimes from one quarter to the next. The rear is also, being very discreet for several long minutes, before catching fire over a short period. Of the 37 points he scored in the victory against the Clippers, 28 came in the second half, and 9 in the last three minutes, when he killed Los Angeles with his three winning baskets in a row.
“I had these moments where you have to pass in the first half before going for it in the second half, shooting five or six times in a row,” explains Mike Conley. “But we must first involve others. This doesn't mean not shooting, but taking open shots that are good for you. There is no reason to force things at the start of the match. You have to spin it, like he did. We have a big group around him, he must take advantage of it. »
If the two-person holds block or limit the Olympic champion so much, it is also sometimes because of his behavior with the ball in hand. He's not going fast enough to break them.
“We talked about it with him about taking the advantage quickly. When he sees a defender, you shouldn't wait for the two-man take to take place.”demands Mike Conley. “The more he tries to dissect things, to look at them, the slower he becomes and then the pressure is greater on him. »
| 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 | 34 | 36 | 44.4 | 42.1 | 81.9 | 0.6 | 5.0 | 5.6 | 3.9 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 25.3 |
| Total | 336 | 35 | 44.6 | 36.2 | 79.5 | 0.7 | 4.5 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 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.
