"He put no fear in my heart" - Anthony Edwards discusses facing Rudy Gobert after losing to Utah Jazz, says Kristaps Porzingis is the best rim defender according to him

Anthony Edwards had some words for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert, after a 32-point loss against the Utah Jazz. On December 8th, 2021, the Minnesota Timberwolves made a trip to Utah to take on the third-placed Jazz in a Western Conference match-up. Anthony Edwards shot only 43.8% from the field, totalling 18 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists.

While the Utah Jazz won the game comfortably, Anthony Edwards felt that the loss was due to their own mistakes and gave no credit to Rudy Gobert’s defensive abilities. Anthony Edwards was not shy in the post-game interview, saying –

“I think he was in people’s [teammates] heads, like he wasn’t even blocking shots. People were just going to the rim and thinking, oh we got Rudy Gobert. And I’m telling them he’s the same as anybody else.”

Anthony Edwards followed that up by calling the Dallas Maverick’s Kristaps Porzingis the league's best rim protector, Edwards said -

"To me, the best rim protector in the league is Porzingis. Anytime I go against Porzingis, I don’t get no layups. I don’t get why we couldn’t finish on Rudy Gobert. He put no fear in my heart."

Anthony Edwards elevated his game in the 2021-22 season

Anthony Edwards is currently in his second season as an NBA professional. The young shooting guard, in 25 games played, has already outdone his numbers from his rookie campaign. In the current season, Anthony Edwards has logged 21.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game. The Minnesota Timberwolves are 9th in the Western Conference standings with a 11-14 record.

Anthony Edwards is fearless as he approaches the rim, and we have seen that in the number of poster-slams he’s accumulated within two seasons in the league. On November 10th, 2021, he had a career-night in a loss against the Golden State Warriors, recording 48 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. That game made him the third youngest player to record 45+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists in a single game.

Apart from his individual game, Anthony Edwards seems to have some leadership qualities as well. In a post-game interview after losing to the Jazz, Anthony Edwards revealed what he shared with teammate Karl-Anthony Towns at half-time. He said -

“You got to go quick. I told him at half-time – you waiting for the double, you’re asking them to come double you. You’re the best player on the floor and they taking you out of the game.”

Anthony Edwards even drew a parallel to Joel Embiid, urging Karl-Anthony Towns to attack the rim when he gets the ball. It will definitely be interesting to see how the Timberwolves’ young roster performs throughout the season.

Comparison between Rudy Gobert and Kristaps Porzingis

Anthony Edwards’ claim on who is a better rim protector seems a little off though. Rudy Gobert has recorded 55 blocks in the current season, compared to Kristaps Porzingis’ 24. Rudy Gobert is second in defensive rating for the current season, with a 98 rating. Whereas Kristaps Porzingis, has recorded his best defensive rating this season with a 105.6 rating. In terms of their teams’ position in the standings, the Utah Jazz are placed third and are performing much better than the sixth-placed Dallas Mavericks.