Everybody ran with the idea that Anthony Edwards is out here warning people about LaMelo Ball’s defense.
He’s not. Go read what he actually said.
Talking to Taylor Rooks at Fanatics Fan Fest, Edwards said: “It’s definitely going to be ups and downs. First year together, maybe a lot of downs. But we are just going to celebrate both of them. Celebrate the ups, celebrate the downs, and just go with it.”
He’s not scouting Ball’s closeouts there — he’s a guy who’s watched enough roster shakeups in Minnesota to know year one with a new star never looks clean right away.
And Ant’s got range on this. Same guy who nicknamed the pairing on trade day:
Anthony Edwards reacts to LaMelo Ball joining the Timberwolves:
“Y’all can call us Hit and Run.” pic.twitter.com/oBgzmS8CSE
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) June 25, 2026
Both quotes are real. Excited and grounded at the same time: a more mature stance than half the league’s stars manage in year one with a new co-star.
The actual defensive tension is real, it’s just not coming from Edwards’ mouth. Ball graded out in the 99th percentile among guards for defensive rebounding last season, a genuinely underrated part of his game. Elite rebounding is also how he survives the possessions his isolation defense still loses on the perimeter. Rebounding buys him cover. It doesn’t erase the matchup problems.
Chris Finch already put Edwards on notice about his own end amid the pressure on Edwards since the trade: “It’s not negotiable for his defense to come back a little more,” the coach told reporters, per the Star Tribune.
So no, Edwards isn’t sounding an alarm on his new backcourt mate. Just not lying to you about November.
