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Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards has briefly established himself as one of the go-to gamers on Team USA as they get ready for his or her FIBA World Cup opener on Saturday in opposition to New Zealand, averaging a team-best 19.2 issues of their 5 tune-up exhibition video games. But, for a time, the 22-year-old wasn’t even penciled into the beginning lineup.
Team USA head trainer Steve Kerr’s authentic imaginative and prescient used to be to have Edwards coming off the bench, with Brooklyn Nets sharpshooter Cam Johnson getting the beginning nod. Edwards stated that Kerr contacted him heading into camp, suggesting that he may well be simply as impactful as a reserve and bringing up the sacrifice of Dwyane Wade, who agreed to come back off the bench to again up Kobe Bryant at the 2008 Olympic crew.
Edwards admitted that he wasn’t precisely receptive to Kerr’s comparability.
“I mean, of course I wasn’t cool with it,” Edwards said on Thursday. “If that’s what it takes, I mean, I am willing to do it, but nah, I’m never cool with that. … He said Dwyane Wade came off the bench when Kobe played. I was like, all right, we don’t have a Kobe, but all right. But it was cool.”
This obviously wasn’t supposed to be a slight at Edwards’ teammates, who don’t seem to be don’t seem to be precisely the family names we noticed at the 2008 Redeem Team. While that roster featured legends like Bryant, Wade, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard, the 2023 Team USA squad is comprised of up-and-coming abilities like Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, Jaren Jackson Jr., Austin Reaves and Brandon Ingram.
Edwards cemented his place as Team USA’s alpha with a 34-point efficiency, together with 12 within the fourth quarter, in a 99-91 exhibition win over Germany on Sunday.
Afterward, Kerr stated that his younger ahead had “become the guy,” a sentiment echoed through ahead Mikal Bridges and assistant trainer Erik Spoelstra.
“Anthony Edwards, that’s gonna be a household name,” Spoelstra stated Wednesday. “(Maybe) it already is.”
Team USA’s first FIBA World Cup recreation in opposition to New Zealand will happen on Saturday at 8:40 a.m. ET, adopted through staff play matchups in opposition to Greece and Jordan on Monday and Wednesday, respectively. You can see the complete time table and effects right here.