Chris Paul hilariously points out relating with Anthony Edwards' Kyrie Irving matchup - "Used to have to chase Steph"
On Thursday, Golden State Warriors veteran guard Chris Paul analyzed Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks stars Anthony Edwards and Kyrie Irving's Western Conference finals matchup. Paul humorously likened it to his past playoff battles against his former rival-turned-teammate Steph Curry.
Edwards struggled during Wednesday's 108-105 Game 1 loss to Dallas, mustering up only 19 points on 6-for-16 (37.5%) shooting. Meanwhile, Irving, whom he defended throughout the night, tallied 30 points on 12-for-23 (52.2%) shooting. That includes a dominant 24-point first half in which the eight-time All-Star shot a blistering 11-for-14 (78.6%).
After the contest, Edwards noted that Irving "just outran" him, causing him to be "exhausted."
On ESPN's "NBA Countdown," Paul discussed how Minnesota can get more out of Edwards in Game 2. The nine-time All-Defensive team selectee was also asked if he ever got exhausted "chasing around somebody as prolific as Kyrie" in the postseason.
Paul didn't hesitate to name Curry, whom he faced off against in the playoffs three times (2014, 2018 and 2019).
"Absolutely, I used to have to chase around Steph all the time," Paul said while cracking a smile.
Paul's then-LA Clippers defeated Curry's Warriors 4-3 in the 2014 playoffs' first round, early in the two-time MVP's career. However, Curry and Co. later got revenge, beating Paul's then-Houston Rockets 4-3 in the 2018 West finals and 4-2 in the 2019 postseason's second round.
Through 18 head-to-head playoff showdowns, Curry is averaging 23.5 points per game while Paul is averaging 17.8 ppg. So, Paul is likely appreciative that they became teammates this season.
Chris Paul on key for Anthony Edwards to bounce back in Game 2 against Dallas
As for Chris Paul's Game 2 advice for Anthony Edwards, he highlighted the need for him to expend less defensive energy against Kyrie Irving. Paul noted that the 22-year-old can defend Irving part-time instead of full-time so he has more energy on offense to carry Minnesota.
"We loved that Ant said that he wanted the matchup, but that doesn't mean you have to guard him the entire game," Paul said. "So, we love the competitiveness, we love the challenge, but you can start on him and then throughout the game, you can change up your coverage, you can guard someone else."
Paul added that Edwards' teammates should be the ones to try and get the message across to him.
"That's probably up to his teammates to come tell him," Paul said. "Come up to Ant and be like, 'Ant, we know you're guarding, you're expending all this energy, but I need you to score. I need you to be a little bit more aggressive.' I think that's what they're gonna need to do in order to go forward."
Time will tell whether Anthony Edwards chooses to be more aggressive during Friday's Game 2 clash in Minneapolis. However, the Timberwolves will likely need considerably more offensive production from their leading scorer to avoid a daunting 2-0 deficit.
Also Read: "I know that irked you" - Charles Barkley quips on Anthony Edwards' call out to Kyrie Irving