D'Angelo Russell identifies crucial skill for 'flawless' Anthony Edwards to develop
D'Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards were teammates with the Minnesota Timberwolves for two-and-a-half seasons. Russell remains in awe of Edwards, who he thinks is a "flawless" player but will need to improve on one more facet of his game.
In an appearance on the "Run Your Race" podcast with Theo Pinson and AJ Richardson, Russell discussed the potential of "Ant-Man" at such a young age. The LA Lakers guard praised the 22-year-old superstar for being "flawless" already although he thinks one more skill can be improved. (Start at 1:10:10)
"You don't see a lot of guys that walk that fine line of arrogance and humble. He does it so well and he can compete on every side of the ball. I think he's flawless. I think he can learn how to pass a little better, but I think he's flawless, to be honest. He's a flawless NBA player," Russell said.
Anthony Edwards has improved his passing in every season of his career, from 2.9 assists per game as a rookie to a career-high of 5.1 assists per game last season. Edwards will only get better, especially after his experience with Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"Ant-Man" made the jump to superstardom last season after his stint as the No. 1 guy for Team USA at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He is more than confident of his abilities as a player and a scorer, while his defense has also been improving on a year-to-year basis.
There's no doubt that Edwards is the "man" for the Minnesota Timberwolves now, unlike when D'Angelo Russell was still with the team. Karl-Anthony Towns was still the first option back then, but it's been established that he's more comfortable taking a backseat to the Georgia product.
Dwyane Wade gives advice to Anthony Edwards amid Team USA stint
Anthony Edwards boldly claimed before the 2024 Paris Olympics that he is the No. 1 option for Team USA. Edwards made some great points during the basketball showcase before the tournament and will have a few more games to prove it.
The 22-year-old is expected to be great, but Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade has some epic advice for him. Here's what Wade said via an Instagram post by his alma mater Marquette:
"I know Anthony Edwards didn't go to Marquette. But we have a saying at Marquette – 'Be The difference.' And I talked to Anthony Edwards about being it. Be unpredictable. And be the difference on the floor when you step out there."
Edwards and Team USA's next task is against South Sudan on Wednesday in Lille, France. The first time they met earlier this month, the youngest nation in the world gave United States a lot of problems. It took a game-winning layup by LeBron James to beat the team.