How NBA Players REALLY Feel About Anthony Edwards...

Anthony Edwards is emerging as one of the faces of the NBA - but don’t take our word for it. This is how NBA players really feel about the young phenom. Ant and fellow USA Basketball star Tyrese Haliburton are on the short list of great players under 25, but Hali said that when he saw Edwards ball out overseas… well, see for yourself: “I mean the is amazing like the stuff that he does on the floor is ridiculous like that first game against Germany where he just took over the whole second half that was like the greatest performance I've ever seen in person I was like almost in awe I was like this is ridiculous like I was like bro you look like it's like the bean right now like the one he shot the Baseline fade and double pumped over Schroeder I was like no that's like in the moment I was like no way no way you even thought about doing that like that's ridiculous.” Anytime you hear a guy compare someone to “the Bean” - Kobe Bryant - you’re in good territory. Austin Reaves talked about the same Kobe-esque shot against Germany. “I don't know if I knew he was that good uh the Germany game in Abu Dhabi when he just took over in the second half um I remember he made a baseline fade uh like double pump and I was I was on the right wing and I don't know what everybody else was thinking at the time but I it was a close game I was just like everything went slow motion again I was just like that might be one of the best shots I've ever seen in person like the degree of difficult time and score all that for him to you know have confidence in himself to shoot that and make that that was uh it was really impressive” But if you’re gonna be the Gen Z Kobe - you gotta be good on both ends. “first got drafted you could see that he had the intangibles he has the skill set to be one of the best on ball defenders in our league and um you know again it's it's it's a healthy challenge when you go against someone like that even as young he slides his feet he's very physical um and he takes that challenge very personal and uh he got a few stops we look at each other we r at each other a few you know possessions that he had on me um and that's what makes this league great you can have those mini battles.” A lot of guys are athletic enough to be good perimeter defenders, but most of them aren’t competitors. That’s why Donovan Mitchell knows Ant is something special. ‘I gotta say a a bring it every night a dog man like I think an's a guy like he bring the best out of you like you know what I'm saying like he he talk he he he he talks and all that but like as a competitor like that's what you want like you want to go against you know you know a guy like him you know what I mean so I would say he's probably number one for sure just because of the energy he brings” Anthony Edwards is already one of the top shooting guards in the league - do you think it’s him, Mitchell, Devin Booker, or someone else? Let us know in the comments. Although - Austin Rivers seems pretty sure of his answer. “this guy demands that respect and he's going out there now and doing it every single night he is on his best nights and how he's playing right now the best guard in the NBA yes I said that he's a bad man two-way player three-level score clutch can finish at the basket mid-range shoot the long ball off the dribble or catch and shoot.” Ant’s been a superstar since high school - though it took Jason Williams a second to figure that out. “you said you have a good Ant-Man story tell us it so I was coaching a uh a uh High School uh uh High School all star game in Atlanta when he was still in high school his senior year and I don't know none of these kids man these young kids I don't know I'm just coaching like just just to be there I know what time it is with me now just show up that's all we want you to do so I'm there coaching and ants on my team jump ball ants on the bench I don't know who an is but jump ball soon as the other team get the possession I swear but didn't take two dribbles I get a tap on my shoulder oh yeah oh it's the director of the whole whole tournament why ain't number two in the game I'm like I don't know is he supposed to be yeah he the number one player in the country but timeout timeout hey Aunt go in who you want me to get coach whoever you want bro go.” But to be a real superstar, that needs to translate to winning. The Timberwolves have been fighting all year for the top seed in the West - taking down some title favorites along the way. In the first few weeks of the season, Ant and the T-Wolves beat both the best teams in each conference - the Nuggets and the Celtics. After he beat up Boston, Tatum had nothing but praise for Minnesota’s star. “Ant’s one of my favorite guys watching the league you know how explosive and talented he is and um continues to get better each and every year um and I just like how he competes he competes on both ends of the floor um he made some big big plays uh for his team tonight especially down the stretch.” Edwards has been one of the most clutch players in the league. The team sometimes revolves around him too much for the last play of the game, but you couldn’t ask for a better superstar to bail out a team in crunch time. Just ask Bruce Brown - who called Ant the toughest guy to guard in the league. “Minnesota knew that couldn't beat y'all thought oh my gosh dude I would say this year the toughest player cigar was Aunt and Shay we're gonna ask you about Shay later we're gonna ask you about to show you later but Jesus Christ and and was cooking cooking every doing everything though all three levels y'all I'm gonna be honest I thought he's gonna hit that shot uh game six no games yeah.” The play Bruce is talking about is the end of Game 5 of last year’s playoffs, when the Nuggets beat the Wolves in the first round of the playoffs. Brown was guarding Ant on the game’s final shot - the one that would have sent the clinching game to OT. Saying that the toughest guy to guard is either Ant or Shai… you know, just the guy who’s second in MVP odds right now. Pretty good company, right? Maybe Bruce has just never guarded Luka, I guess? Even Luka - who’s definitely the hardest guy to guard, by the way - praised Edwards. “we double adwards which is he's the big problem uh but he started talking to me in third quarter I think or second quarter so you know when you started that you know I'm coming back to you so” You love to see a guy praise an opponent while also refusing to back down. The Luka / Booker rivalry hasn’t really been a rivalry the last couple years - is Ant / Luka gonna be the next best rivalry in the NBA? Let us know in the comments. If that’s the case - is Ant the next face of the league? “replacement saying like ah we don't want to be here I don't want to play like a big deal on guys resumes is allstar game MVP we've seen Kobe win it over the years AI Shaq LeBron KD Steph like when you look at the guys I don't understand why a young Anthony Edwards wouldn't want his name sketched in stone next to the likes of those guys in anything because anytime you can be next to the likes of those guys I just don't understand why you wouldn't want that and so to play defense backwards um to shoot left-handed threes I I thought that was a little outlandish I thought it was a little crazy and like I said a little disheartening just because of who he is who we all think he is going to be to this league and a part of being the face of the NBA and I keep see seeing so many people talk about being the face in the NBA a part of being the face in the NBA is also being a steward of the game a steward of the NBA when you look at LeBron James and how long he's been the face of the NBA you look at Steph Curry and being one of the faces of the NBA there's stewards of the game of all things NBA you as the face of the NBA you're kind of in direct partnership with the NBA to continue to move this thing forward and so and and maybe Anthony Edwards doesn't want to be the face of the NBA because everybody don't want that and I get it like there's different things that comes with being faced in NBA that not everybody wants and he's entitled to want that but if if Anthony Edwards is who I think he is somebody needs to be teaching him that if he is who I think he is which I think he is exactly who I think he is.” Ant spent the whole All-Star Game shooting left handed - proving just how little he cared about the whole thing. Draymond thought that was ridiculous, it takes more than just playing ball to be the face of the league. But Paul George is still convinced Ant is one of the best in the league. Speaking of dunking - remember that monster jam on Tray Murphy? Because Trey does. “the power that he went back on the tomahawk was so strong I said I'm not getting that so I bailed out in there in the middle of this decision yeah yeah I bailed up because if I follow him and he still dunks it and they're on a run like this it's just not a good idea.” Of course, the best players to talk about Ant? His former teammates. D’Angelo Russell played with Ant right out of the gates and was able to see him grow. “I mean I'm more impressed I'm more impressed with his consistency honestly um he's he's becoming a pro you know um when you're young in the league you got to learn how to be a pro if you don't come from maybe the Collegiate level that's kind of preparing you for it and he was a one and done guy so he didn't really get the opportunity kind of like me um so him being in the league at a young age he's learning how to be a pro on and off the floor and you can see the development um him um focusing on his craft and his consistency with his with his routine I think that's what's allowing him to be consistent the way he is tonight” “y'all go good in the world but look at me like i'm crazy not gonna put all that pressure on that kid but i told him man i told you man you got a chance man you got a chance brother to be michael jordan brother you really do you really do you really do i've been around a lot of them man the kid doesn't indulge in anything negative j.j” The next Michael Jordan. That’s some high potential. Do you think Anthony Edwards has the chance to become the next superstar - or is he overhyped? Let us know in the comments then watch one of these videos next. Listen to the Wrong Opinion: Useless NBA Trivia and Garbage Rankings for more NBA content.

Channel: Hoopers Ln.

Views: 344,634

Keywords: anthony edwards, anthony edwards highlights, anthony edwards dunk, minnesota timberwolves, nba on espn, anthony edwards interview, anthony edwards mix, house of highlights, espn nba, timberwolves, anthony edwards dunk on, nba highlights today, anthony edwards dunk reaction, nba podcast, anthony edwards block, hoopersln, nba players on, nba players feel, jayson tatum interview

Id: i-ukVtf6OMk

Length: 11min 0sec (660 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 06 2024