Team USA’s head coach Steve Kerr recently informed Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards of his absence from the starting lineup. Edwards might turn out to be a key role player for the team, which caused the young Timberwolves star to express his discontent over head coach Steve Kerr’s decision. This came in, days after the Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra compared Edwards’ skills to that of Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade. Gilbert Arenas raised this issue on his podcast ‘No Chill with Gilbert Arenas’ and questioned Kerr’s decision not to start the best player from the bench.
Advertisement
Anthony Edwards has been one of the best players in the current Team USA roster. The Timberwolves shooting guard has proved to be an absolute clutch for the team, having recently helped Team USA hit back from trailing 16 points in a 99-91 win over Germany. Coach Kerr has also been quite pleased with Edwards’ performances, calling him ‘The Guy.’ However, the Warriors coach’s decision to keep Edwards on the bench baffled the fans and Gilbert Arenas.
Gilbert Arenas questions Steve Kerr’s decision
Everyone watching Anthony Edwards play this off-season is in awe of his performance. And so is Gilbert Arenas. The former NBA star resonated with Coach Spo’s comparison of Edwards and Dwyane Wade, asserting that the young shooting guard is the best player on the team.
HOW CAN YOU COMPARE ANTHONY EDWARDS TO DWAYNE WADE AND NOT START HIM‼️ pic.twitter.com/CoeSibAcb3
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) August 24, 2023
Like many others, Arenas believed that Edwards was being made to emulate the same skill set as The Flash. However, he was baffled by Steve Kerr’s decision to bench the star player. Furthermore, Arenas brought a new dimension of comparing Edwards to a peak Kobe Bryant coming off the bench. Questioning Kerr’s decision, here is what Arenas had to say in his podcast.
“Let’s say, that’s the problem because he reminds you of the players you are trying to make him. Like come on, obviously, he is the best player, right? By far, not even close. So, when you’re the coach, you’re saying ‘yeah, yeah we’re gonna bring him off the bench,’ you are looking at the rest of the line. Who are you convincing who’s better than him [Anthony Edwards]? Like in your mind, like who? For that team, he is the Kobe, like Kobe coming off the bench, like what the f**k were you guys thinking?”
Indeed, Arenas made a valid point with his reasoning for playing Anthony Edwards. During the exhibition game against Germany, Arenas alone dropped 34 points, compared to the cumulative 25 points from the rest of the players in the team. Therefore, not starting Edwards might seem baffling for anyone following Team USA in their FIBA World Cup campaign this year. Even Ant himself.
Anthony Edwards expressed his displeasure over getting benched by Steve Kerr
When you are the best player in your team and are only offered a bench role, anyone is bound to get frustrated. Anthony Edwards expressed displeasure over Steve Kerr benching him despite his brilliant performance. But he was ready to give his all for the team and was trying to remain calm about the situation.
“I mean, of course I wasn’t cool with it. 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.”
Both Anthony Edwards and Steve Kerr are aware of the impact the Timberwolves star would have on the team. As the FIBA World Cup progresses, we are yet to see the marvels the young shooting guard shows in the tournament.
