The 19-year-old rookie walked onto the court in transition, all between him and another bucket was a 2-foot-1, two-time defensive player of the year who just signed a $ 205 million contract extension.
Anthony Edwards did not hesitate for a second. He didn’t stop in front of a jumper or backwards and waited for his teammates. The # 1 overall pick had no jitters. He hit the accelerator in the paint, turned a circle to the right, and raised a one-handed float that bounced gently off the back iron and fell through. Rudy Gobert let nothing but air beat.
When asked about it after the Timberwolves 116-111 win in Utah on Saturday night, Edwards did what he has done so many times at the start of his rookie season. He shrugged and wondered why anyone thought it was so important. There is nothing about this competition, these players or this stage that surprises Edwards the least. He’s doing exactly what he knew he was going to do …