Anthony Edwards explains frustration with ‘super hard’ part of Celtics game plan
"It's frustrating to see these guys cooking us and I can't cook them."
Anthony Edwards is struggling this season as he continues to learn how to deal with double-teams at the NBA level, and the Celtics took full advantage in their win Thursday night.
Edwards shot 42.7 percent from the field and averaged 3.2 turnovers in December. The rough stretch continued with a tough outing against the Celtics.
The Celtics defense, which broke out of a slump on New Year’s Eve, added another notch to its belt by kicking off a challenging Western Conference road trip with a victory.
Edwards expressed frustration with the way Boston guarded him after the game. The Celtics put Jayson Tatum on him, deliberately forced him to go to his left, and sent double-teams as needed which threw Edwards off of his rhythm. Edwards was held to 15 points on 5-for-16 shooting.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” Edwards said. “They’re just trapping me, man. I don’t know what to do, I’m not going to lie.”
The Celtics held the Timberwolves to 16 points in the second quarter, which helped them build a double-digit halftime lead.
Minnesota scored 34 in the third quarter, narrowing the gap with Edwards in more of a distributor-type role. Four of his six assists came during that quarter, while Edwards took just one shot, a 3-footer he missed.
That’s not how he’s used to playing, and he made it clear that he doesn’t enjoy it either. When asked if he liked playing a similar style to the one used in the third quarter, Edwards said “hell no.”
“I don’t know, man. That was a good brand of basketball, but it’s not how I want to play, of course. I’m only 23. I don’t want to be just passing the ball all night, you feel me? At all. But, the way they guarded me, I feel like I had to.”
Edwards said it was “super hard” to stay engaged without his usual scoring opportunities.
“It doesn’t take me all the way out of the game,” Edwards said. “But it definitely frustrates me a little bit. Them doubling me, it’s like ‘bro, what is going on.’ Trying to figure it out, man.”
Edwards rubbed his chin as he pondered a question about passing out of the double-team and calling to get the ball back. He doesn’t want to make it seem like he’s chasing the ball every time down the floor, he said.
“But then, when I get doubled and give it up and go to the corner, it makes it seem like ‘boom, the double-team won’,” Edwards said. “So, I don’t know what to do, honestly. It’s not fun, of course because I don’t want to look like I’m not trying or I’m not as good as I am because I am, but I can’t show it because I’m getting double-teamed.”
The Celtics swept the season series with the Timberwolves. The next time the two teams could meet would be in the NBA Finals. Edwards said seeing other stars like Jayson Tatum, who dropped a game-high 33 points, only adds to the frustration.
“It’s definitely frustrating to see these guys cooking us, and I can’t cook them because of whatever the adjustments are,” Edwards said. “They’re doing a good job, 100 percent. Keeping me from doing what I want to do out there, so big shoutout to the opposite team.”
Tatum said he came to coach Joe Mazzulla before the game and asked to guard Edwards. The Celtics forward said he believes his defense is an underrated aspect of his game, but also credited his teammates with helping him execute.
“It wasn’t a one-man job,” Tatum said. “We upped our intensity and physicality just as a unit. Tried to make it tough on him. Didn’t want to play him one on one. Just wanted to show bodies and make it as uncomfortable as you can. When the best players in the league are comfortable, it’s tough so you’ve got to try things to throw them off.”
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