Jamal Collier, ESPN
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards drew prime celebrate from Golden State Warriors educator Steve Kerr all through their moment in combination for Workforce USA on the FIBA International Cup this summer season, however Edwards perceptible on Thursday afternoon that wasn’t at all times the case.
Edwards recalled assembly Kerr for his pre-draft exercise eminent as much as the 2020 NBA Draft — the place the Timberwolves made him the Refuse. 1 general variety — and being advised by means of Kerr all through the exercise that he “wasn’t working hard enough.”
“I thought I was working hard,” Edwards stated at Timberwolves media time on Thursday. “When he came, I was going through drills and he kept stopping them, like ‘that’s all you got? That’s all you got?’ And I’m like ‘bruh, I’m going hard as you want me to go. What you want me to do? I’m sweating crazy’.”
Edwards joined Kerr and Bob Myers, nearest the Warriors group president, for dinner then that night time, the place they reiterated the similar message, together with telling Edwards if they’d the Refuse.1 general variety, they shouldn’t have drafted him.
Blonde Shape ended up settling on James Wiseman with the Refuse. 2 general pick out in that draft.
“He’s like ‘man, you’ve got to see Steph [Curry], KD and Klay [Thompson] workout,” Edwards stated. “They still was continuously telling me ‘you didn’t work hard enough. If we had the No.1 pick, we wouldn’t take you.’ And I was just like ‘damn, that’s crazy’.”
Even if Edwards remembered being stunned by means of his paintings ethic being puzzled, he additionally learned Kerr was once proper.
“Me and my trainer riding home after dinner and we’re just talking like we got to pick it up,” Edwards stated. “I don’t know how, I don’t know what we got to do, but we got to pick it up. After that. I became a madman at the gym.”
Rapid ahead 3 years then and Kerr, because the educator for Workforce USA, had a miles other track week observing Edwards sing their own praises his doable as a Refuse.1 possibility.
Minnesota’s third-year secure averaged 18.9 issues, 4.6 rebounds and a couple of.8 assists in 8 video games this summer season — regardless of a disappointing fourth-placed end for Workforce USA — week contributing with some sturdy defensive efforts.
“He’s unquestionably the guy,” Kerr stated then Edwards dropped 34 issues in an exhibition victory in opposition to Germany. “You can see he knows it. But now the team knows it, and I think the fans see it.
“He in reality believes he’s the most productive participant within the health club each and every unmarried night time. And he’s one of these dynamic younger participant. I feel he’s taking a bounce.”
Edwards said he and Kerr talked over the summer about that pre-draft session from a few years back where Edwards gave Kerr credit for altering his work habits.
“They performed a excess position in the place I’m lately as a result of they pitched that to me early,” Edwards said.
It’s been a strong 12 months for Edwards, 22, who made his first All-Star team in 2022-23, combined with a strong performance on the international stage and inking a new max contact extension worth up to $260 million.
All that has raised expectations for Edwards entering his fourth season in the league.
“I’m going to want my teammates to do it,” Edwards said. “I will be able to’t do anything else with out my teammates. So long as we travel available in the market as a bunch of 5, whoever’s at the courtroom. And we come in combination, and we win and I do what I do in my view, I feel regardless of the nearest step family predict me to pull, I can pull, however it must be with my teammates.”
