In this YouTube reaction segment, former NBA players Draymond Green and Baron Davis dissect Charles Barkley's assertion that Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has "regressed." Both analysts argue that Edwards has not regressed; instead, they note improvements in his jump shot and overall game. They reference Edwards' recent scoring outbursts—a 53‑point performance followed by a 37‑point game—while acknowledging the team's losses. The conversation pivots to the impact of losing Karl‑Anthony Towns, which has increased double‑team pressure on Edwards, and the need for the Timberwolves to adjust schematically. Green and Davis discuss how new teammates—Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, and Mike Conley—alter spacing, defensive matchups, and the ways Edwards must learn to integrate them to become a consistent, dominant scorer rather than a "moment" player. They stress the importance of Edwards' basketball IQ, his ability to command the game, and the coaching staff’s role in mitigating double‑team tactics. The segment concludes with a shared belief that Edwards is poised to take the next step toward superstar status, provided he adapts his playmaking, embraces his role as the team's centerpiece, and leverages his improved shooting mechanics.
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All right, man, I'm gonna take a TV timeout where we can talk about something a little bit more from the TV analyst side. This week, our boy Charles Barkley is discussing Anthony Edwards. Charles Barkley, I quote, "I think Anthony Edwards has regressed." Anthony Edwards, on the other hand, recently expressed frustration about being double-teamed and scored his career-high 53 points and a loss to Detroit. We know they are underachieving. Do you agree with Chuck?
I don't think Anthony Edwards is regressing. I don't think Anthony Edwards has played the way everybody expected him to come back playing from going to a Western Conference Finals, uh, with the hunger, you know, with the tenacious attitude that he has anyway. I don't think he's done that. But regress, he's gotten better actually, uh, as a player. His jump shot's way better. Uh, so I wouldn't say regress. I don't think that's the right word. I, if, if, if I was even gonna make this argument, I think I would've went more along the lines of like, yo, is Anthony Edwards content because he went to the conference finals? I would take more that approach if I was going to do that rather than like Anthony Edwards has regressed because that's just not true. He hasn't regressed one bit. I, I, yeah, I would just say more of that. But in saying that, removing a player like KAT is a big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big deal.
Yeah.
And it takes some time to figure out a move like that.
Yep.
Like it can take some time to figure that out. I think, you know, you see the last two games he had 53, then he had 37.
They lost.
You know, averaging 45 over his last two games.
They lost.
And I saw that he complained about the double teams. The reality is that's just Ant being Ant. Like, Ant's gonna say whatever he thinks, but he gonna get double teamed. Like, you can't stop him one-on-one. So that's gonna happen and he should expect to see more of that. And his coaches better figure out how to negate those double teams. But they ain't going away. You talk about losing a guy like Carl Anthony Towns, that even opened up the possibility for double teams because you, you can help off a little more because he's the way he shoot the ball. You, I mean, excuse me, you couldn't help off as much because of how quick Cat's trigger is and how well he shoot the ball. And so I think they still have some adjustments to make. Like I told Ant at the Olympics after the game, after they won the gold medal, don't be a moment guy. Like don't be one of those guys that had they moment that went to the conference finals that we never hear from again. And I don't think he has that attitude. But you know, he gotta take that next step.
Yeah, I would definitely—
We all believe that he will. I do, at least.
I agree. I think it's not regress, right? It's more like he hasn't taken the next step. I think he's gotten better, but what does that mean for someone who's so talented And you know, huge expectation. I think my challenge to him is he hasn't figured out how to get 53 and dominate a game.
Mm-hmm.
He hasn't figured out to walk on the court and say, not only am I the best player, I'm the most talented, I'm the most athletic, and I can win this game based on my ability, my know-how, my knowledge, time, and score. I think he's still very similar to Wemby, right? Is he's learning the game, he's learning how to play the game, but he's not learning yet to dominate the game or to be a winner in game situations. You know what I mean?
Mm-hmm.
And so it goes to like, yeah, he ballin', he's a baller, he can't be stopped. But it's also like he has to figure out how to make Julius Randle valuable for him in a different way than KAT was. 'Cause you don't have KAT.
Mm-hmm.
Now to say all that, not having KAT and having Julius Randle, like you gotta figure out how this dude gonna complement you. Because the floor is different, the spacing is different. The style is different, the way Julius Randle wanna get his shots, his touches. And so—
It's different.
Now you got Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, you know what I mean? Conley, like it looked like the same team, but you don't fear them beating you from the outside. You don't fear them beating you at the rim. You don't fear their height or their size. And so now you have nowhere to hide or disappear or your game for other people to really compliment you to step up because all eyes are on you, right? Because it's just a different, like the spacing is different. The energy to close out on everybody else, it's a shorter closeout or it's a slower closeout. Right, which allow you to get double teams. So I think for him, he gotta understand like there's a game within the game within the game, right? And for what you're saying, don't beat a moment, dude. It's like you can get back to the air, but you're not gonna get back to the conference finals with Karl-Anthony Towns 'cause you don't play there no more. So stop complaining about Randle, make that shit work, make Rudy Gobert do something, you know what I mean? And figure out like, figure out how to be the centerpiece of everything they need without saying like, I'm passing too much, I'm scoring too much, I'm this and that too much. It's like, we don't need none of that.
No, no doubt, I feel you. But the word regress.
Is not, yeah, he's not regressing.
I've played against Anthony Edwards this year. I can tell you for certain, he ain't regressed one bit. He come down talking to you like, "Oh, Dray, you think I'm telling you, Dray, my 3 better. Wow, I told you. Yeah, y'all ain't gonna guard me like that. My 3 is nice." Like he talking to you while he shooting it. He ain't regress.
Nah, his game got better. His game awareness, basketball IQ, as far as like taking that next step to be a superstar and be somebody that's, he's not feared. His 53 points, his points are not feared enough, you know what I mean? And so like, there needs to be an opportunity for him to walk in the game and be like, I can beat you scoring 53, I can beat you scoring 30, I can beat you scoring— like, I can just win this game because I got control. And I think that's the situation he's in now in Minnesota because you don't have somebody with that high level of confidence that feel like, "I'm one of them ones too," you know what I mean? And so you don't have that to feed off of. Everybody gotta feed off that shit from you. And so you gotta be more responsible about, once again, how do you play the game until it's time for you to be a winner? You know what I mean? You may have to James Harden this shit.
I agree. So I don't know. We'll see. We got them next week, so we shall see.
