“Never Have 9 Points in a Half”: Shaquille O’Neal Calls Out Anthony Edwards for His First 2 Quarters Against the Celtics

The Minnesota Timberwolves are navigating their most challenging two-game stretch of the season. After taking on the Western Conference leaders, the Oklahoma City Thunder, on Tuesday, Chris Finch’s squad now faces the top-ranked team in the Eastern Conference. However, Anthony Edwards got off to a slow start in the first half against the Boston Celtics tonight, disappointing Shaquille O’Neal.

During Inside the NBA’s half-time show, Shaq called out the 6ft 4” guard for scoring only nine points in the first two quarters. He criticized Edwards for “settling” for three-pointers instead of attacking the rim.

“A player of his caliber should never have nine points in a half. That just tells me he’s settled… This (attacking the rim) is the Anthony Edwards that we know and love. If he can do more of this, he will become a greater player than he already is. He’s a great player. But great players don’t settle to become greater and right now, he’s just settling,” Shaq said.

As Ernie Johnson pointed out to Shaq, the 23-year-old is the league’s leading three-point shooter this season. However, this achievement shouldn’t motivate him to rely excessively on long-range attempts, as Shaq pointed out.

The big man underlined that Ant is not a shooter despite what his numbers might suggest. Therefore, he should hustle for points instead of settling for tough shots.

The effectiveness of Shaq’s advice is evidenced by his shooting numbers tonight (1/6 from deep) compared to his more efficient drives to the rim (2/4).

Charles Barkley also believes that Edwards isn’t being aggressive

Shaq’s fellow Inside the NBA analyst Charles Barkley also pointed out that the two-time All-Star’s aggressiveness has declined, which he believes has led to a regression in Edwards’ overall game.

Barkley suggested that Edwards’ improved three-point shooting has been more advantageous for opponents than for his own team. Ant’s tendency to settle for outside shots has reduced his impact, as his greatest strength lies in attacking the basket and putting the pressure on defense.

“I think, I actually think Anthony Edwards, in my opinion, has regressed because he’s become an outside shooter. He’s not aggressive like he was last year… He’s taking too many threes…”

“When he’s such a terrific player, if you guard him, you want him shooting threes because if he’s going to the basket, he’s dunking on people. He’s getting you in foul trouble. He’s getting you in the penalty sooner,” Chuck criticized Ant before the Wolves-Celtics game tipped-off.

Ant-Man has seen a fall in key stats compared to last season, averaging 1 point and 1.2 assists per game less. This shift in mindset is clearly impacting his overall performance.