No one has ever accused Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards of holding back, but on Friday, he was particularly plainspoken.
And for good reason—his Timberwolves had just polished off a 107–90 win over the Golden State Warriors. It was the kind of win that could come in handy when playoff seeding is determined at the end of the year, and Edwards went out of his way to praise forward Julius Randle and center Naz Reid for their efforts in NSFW fashion.
"Everyone is guarding at a high level," Edwards said via Minnesota reporter Dane Moore. "Naz and Julius is f--ing playing defense. I've never seen them play defense before. So that's f---ing incredible. And (Randle's) right here, put the camera on him... he be guarding his ass off."
Anthony Edwards:
“Naz and Julius is f****** playing defense. You know, I've never see [Julius] play defense before. That's f****** incredible, and he's right here, put the camera on him. He be guarding his a** off.”
(via @DaneMooreNBA)pic.twitter.com/n5hHUXJKMl
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 7, 2024
Data supports Edwards's observation: Randle's 0.8 steals per game are a four-year high, and he's on pace for the second-most defensive win shares of his 11-year career.
The Timberwolves, riding a four-game winning streak are currently 12-10, ninth in the Western Conference and a game back of the Los Angeles Clippers for an automatic playoff berth.