Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards likes to talk. He’s built a reputation over the past few years as a player who isn’t afraid to mix it up verbally on or off the court. That attribute was on full display in game 2 of Minnesota’s first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Edwards was chirping at anyone in Lakers colors and that doesn’t exclude fans. Go back to game 1 to see why he got fined for trolling a fan. While everyone loves a good trash talker, sometimes Edwards has been known to say too much. He did that again following game 2 and may have given LA the ammunition needed to stop him moving forward.
“It seemed every time I caught the ball, they kind of went like in a zone in a sense,” Edwards said. “It was kind of confusing at times. But we’ll watch film and be ready.”
Why did Anthony Edwards tell the Lakers how to stop him?
You’re not supposed to tell the foe what your kryptonite is Superman. This is essentially what Edwards did by divulging this information publicly. It’s hard to fathom Edwards being so crossed up by a zone defense. There are several types of zones that you don’t always see in the NBA. But no matter the style of zone, 2-3, 3-2, Box and 1, etc. They are designed to limit offenses from penetrating inside.
Despite not facing them often in the NBA, surely Edwards has seen a zone or two in his day prior to reaching the pros. Some would point to basketball IQ or lack thereof but it sounds like Edwards was mostly caught off guard by this adjustment from the Lakers.
Whatever the reason, he still shouldn’t be telling the opposing team that he was essentially rattled by the switch-up. If Edwards learns nothing else from this, he should realize that he doesn’t always need to say everything that’s on his mind. Now Edwards needs to adjust to the Lakers so we’ll be watching closely in game 3.