Monster that Steve Kerr created coming to haunt Warriors in playoffs

Steve Kerr will need to figure out how his Golden State Warriors will handle Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards in the second round.

Monster that Steve Kerr created coming to haunt Warriors in playoffs

Steve Kerr, Anthony Edwards and Stephen Curry (Image via Firstsportz)

Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors handled their business against the Houston Rockets in Game 7. Now they will move on to the conference semis to take on Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The latter finished above them in the regular season standings and faced LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. Edwards led his team in scoring and combined his physicality with his elite athleticism to guard the Lakers’ best players.

That resulted in the Timberwolves nearly sweeping the Lakers 4-1. The result meant that the 23-year-old had won over the second NBA Avenger in James, as well as the player who booted him out of last season’s West finals in Luka Doncic.

He rose above them all and proved to the world that he had adapted his game to the needs of the team as well as their opponents to come out on top. Now, he will look to do the same against the Golden State Warriors.

After the Warriors won their first-round series against the Houston Rockets, ESPN brought back a quote from the Timberwolves superstar. The quote was from 2023, when Edwards revealed how Steve Kerr impacted his 2020 pre-draft workout.

I thought I was working hard. When (Steve Kerr) came, I was going through the drills, and he kept stopping them, like, ‘That’s all you got? That’s all you got?’

ESPN quoting Anthony Edwards

If Steve Kerr called Anthony Edwards out in his pre-draft workout, then he ended up creating a monster. The Atlanta native has quickly become one of the better young players in the league and is poised to continue his drive to take the next step in his career.

Anthony Edwards could exploit mismatch against Warriors

When the regular season started, Charles Barkley believed the Minnesota Timberwolves star had taken a step back. That was because the young star was resorting to shooting a lot of threes. As the season progressed, he brought his inside and midrange game back.

Anthony Edwards used the combination of that overall game, along with his athleticism and physicality, to upset the Los Angeles Lakers. He will look to use those same methods against the Golden State Warriors. Some, such as Inside the NBA analysts Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, believe the tactic might not work.

They feel the Timberwolves will struggle to contain the firepower the Golden State Warriors bring. But Charles Barkley contradicted their point and clarified that he believes Edwards will rise above the rest to stake his claim to the West Finals.

If the guard can stay in front of the Warriors’ three top perimeter scorers and defend with tenacity, he could help his team stay in front. On the other hand, his scoring will be necessary to set the tone, considering the Warriors do not have the athleticism to keep up with him.

Wolves are well-rested compared to Steve Kerr’s Warriors

The Golden State Warriors ended their first-round series earlier today. The next series against the Minnesota Timberwolves starts on May 6th. That leaves them with just two days to rest, recover, and practice against scout teams.

Anthony Edwards led his team to defeat LeBron James and the Lakers
Anthony Edwards led his team to defeat LeBron James and the Lakers (Image via BMTN Sports/X)

On the other hand, Anthony Edwards and his teammates have six days to recover. That means they had time to re-energize their bodies while also watching the Warriors to take notes. Those notes will come in handy when practicing against scout teams.

It will give them chances to understand the nuances that make the Warriors tick. Those additional days off might end up helping the Wolves win games early at home to set the tone. On top of that, this second round series has exactly one day’s gap between each set of games.

That might end up exhausting the road team, whose four most important players are 32 or older. Fatigue could tilt the odds in the favor of the Wolves, but to use that properly, they have to win the first two games at home and steal a game in the Bay Area.

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