After a long regular season that saw the arrival of Luka Doncic to LA, the Lakers finished the year as the third seed in the Western Conference. As a result, they are set to face the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The most awaited match-up in this showdown will be Luka Doncic facing Anthony Edwards, which some could say is the battle of two potential faces of the league.
Jarred Vanderbilt, the former Minnesota player who now plays for the Lakers, spoke to the media about how the Lakers plan to defend Anthony Edwards going into this matchup. The Lakers' forward played with Edwards for three years before he was traded to Utah for Rudy Gobert, so he's well acquainted with Edwards' style of play.
"He's a great offensive player, man. He's super physical, he's shooting it well this year, as you can see. So just continue to just make it tough for him. He can get going quick, so just not to get anything easy for him," said Vanderbilt to Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation.
Looking at the explosive athletic and scoring ability of Anthony Edwards, he will undoubtedly be on top of the Lakers' scouting report going into this series. His former teammate acknowledged that Edward will be a key defensive focus for the Lakers.
However, one of the primary concerns that Nico Harrison reportedly brought up while deciding to trade Luka was his inability to defend highly skilled players. So the major question for the Lakers will now be who will guard Edwards? A 40-year-old LeBron James certainly can't do it alone either, so Edwards presents a major problem for the Lakers to focus on.
What Anthony Edwards Thought About The Luka Doncic - Lakers Trade
After the NBA world was stunned by the news that Luka Doncic had been traded to the Lakers, Anthony Edwards did not mince his words when addressing the trade. In his initial reaction, Edwards said:
"They say that nobody knew about the trade. That's crazy. At 25, they traded probably the best scorer in the NBA. And he didn't know about it. There's a lot more digging somebody's gotta do to find out why he got traded. Because you don't just trade him at 25. He just went to the Finals. I feel bad for Luka, man."
Furthermore, it was reported that Luka was traded away due to the Mavericks having weight-related concerns as well. When asked about the same, Edwards also gave his two cents on the reported issue that triggered the trade decision. He said, "He didn't look 270 to me. Man, he averages 30 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds. I don't give a damn if you're 300 lbs. You're fine with me."
Anthony Edwards' Record vs. Luka Doncic, Lakers
Anthony Edwards has historically fared well against the Lakers in the regular season. Edwards has averaged 21.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 17 games against the Lakers in his career. However, Edwards has not faced the Lakers in the playoffs before, although he has seen what Luka Doncic is capable of doing in the postseason.
Last season, the Mavericks faced Minnesota in the Western Conference finals. Luka Doncic averaged 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists in 5 games against the Timberwolves in that series.
