Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards was like a sponge during his time with the Team USA squad that won the gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics men’s basketball tournament. With all-time greats like LeBron James and Kevin Durant as teammates, the explosive 6’4″ guard from Georgia absorbed as much information as possible from his experienced teammates to help him sharpen his game moving forward.
One player Ant learned a lot from last summer, especially in the art of shooting, was Stephen Curry. And so, it’s ironic that the student is now using the lessons he learned from the master to defeat him and his team on the court.
Ant’s torrid shooting
The three-time All-Star has displayed increased confidence in his three-point shooting, attempting over 10 shots per game during the regular season and converting an impressive 39.5 percent of them. He has carried that same level of confidence in the postseason, and in Games 3 and 4 against the Warriors, he has torched the Dubs with his 3-point shooting, draining a combined 11 triples over that two-game stretch.
Additionally, he also let Curry know about it, exchanging pleasantries with the injured superstar after making one in the first quarter of Game 4.
“Sometimes it’s tough, but trust me, man, I wish he could be out there to play against him no matter how it goes,” Ant said du the postgame press conference. “But yeah, just from working out with him in the summer — that’s what I told him after I hit a three because he told me I had missed one. He was like, ‘You ain’t gonna make that. You was too open.’ And I was like, ‘I ain’t gonna never stop shooting ’em. I learned that from you this summer.’ So yeah, man, he’s the greatest shooter of all time.”
During a SportsCenter interview, Ant-Man attributed his improved 3-point shooting this season to relentless hard work, which has helped him become a more consistent and confident scorer from beyond the arc.
“I work on it, man. Like I told Steph, I was working with him all summer, man. So, big shoutout, big credit to him, man. You know, he influenced me to be able to shoot the ball really well. So I went back in the summer and started working on it once I left him, and I got better at it. So just let it fly,” Edwards commented.
Ant has been a handful
While the Warriors held Edwards in check in the series’ first two games, they knew it was only a matter of time before he figured things out and began finding holes in the defense. Golden State’s defensive anchor, Draymond Green, knew this and praised the young superstar for being a “one-of-one” in this league — a player with the unique ability to take it to the rack and finish strong or rain down threes from the perimeter.
“He is a one-on-one. But I think, you know, with the increased volume, the ability that, you know, that he’s worked his tail off for to be able to shoot the ball like that makes him a tough cover, for sure,” Dray said.
If the Warriors are to win Game 5 and stay alive in the postseason, it all starts with limiting Ant’s impact on the game. But as everyone has seen throughout these last two games, that is easier said than done.
