SUMMARY
- Anthony Edwards gives credit to Team USA for helping him in getting better.
- Edwards' postseason stats continue to get better with every passing year.
Anthony Edwards has exceeded all expectations that the NBA world had for him heading into this season. As most fans will know, Edwards is the franchise star for the Minnesota Timberwolves and has been playing at a very high level this season. His impact has also been positive on his team given that they are currently in the Western Conference semi-finals and just stole Game 1 on the road from the Denver Nuggets.
Given that the Nuggets are considered the best team in the West and all but crushed the Los Angeles Lakers heading into this second-round series, they were favored to dominate the Timberwolves. However, Edwards managed to challenge those claims that revealed the secret to his radical growth after Game 1 had come to an end.
Anthony Edwards credits Team USA training for the leap in development
Some fans will remember that Edwards represented Team USA in the FIBA Cup last year. Although the team had a significant amount of talent on their roster, USA ended up being eliminated from the World Cup by Lithuania. In the process of getting ready to represent his country, Edwards likely trained a great deal and credited the Team USA training camp for his improvement in performance this season.
“I put in work this summer. Big shoutout to the USA team man they got me ready for this season and I appreciate them man. My teammates trust me in every possession and critical moment of the game and I try to come through for them.”
“It’s the same Finch is still there you all see him. He is sitting there. Micah is controlling everything. You know he’s an extended version of coach. We all are family you know. We listen to Micah just how we listen to Finch man and he did a great job tonight.”
While it is certainly good to see the Nuggets set new standards for themselves and take an unexpected lead in this series, fans are left wondering how far they could go in these playoffs.
Can the Timberwolves eliminate the Nuggets and get revenge for last season?
Some fans will remember that this is the second year in a row that the Nuggets and Timberwolves are facing off. Both teams matched up in the first round of the playoffs last season and that series began with the Nuggets taking a 3-0 lead on the Timberwolves.
Although Minnesota fought back and won a game before being eliminated, the Nuggets appeared to be the superior team. Anthony Edwards averaged 31.6 points, 5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists last year. His numbers have continued to get better this postseason at 33.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists.