Steph Curry vs. Anthony Edwards Matchup Keys to Warriors vs. Timberwolves – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

The Minnesota Timberwolves of a few weeks ago were the type of stooges any team would welcome into their building. They were sloppy on offense, indifferent on defense, and the losses piled up.

The Timberwolves, who come to Chase Center to take on the Warriors on Friday night, are a whole different beast. They have rediscovered their teeth.

Star guard Anthony Edwards arrives to see one of his NBA mentors: Golden State superstar Stephen Curry, who is considered likely and expected to play. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT.

If Curry shines better than his teammate at the 2024 U.S. Olympics, it will greatly increase the Warriors’ (13-8) chances of defeating a team they lost 4-0 to last season.

If Edwards has his way, Minnesota (11-10) will likely leave the field with its first four-game winning streak of the season.

It was Edwards who lit the fire within the Timberwolves. After a 115-104 home loss to the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 27, he delivered a scathing review that included descriptive terms like “soft” and “frontrunner.”

Since then, the T-Wolves have won the three games by an average margin of 19.3 points, with opponents scoring an average of 84 points. Their defensive rating in these games is an astounding 86.6, a full 15 points lower than the second-place New York Knicks. To illustrate, Minnesota’s rating before Edwards’ scolding was 112.1.

Although the 36-year-old Curry is the all-time 3-point king and is widely considered the founder of basketball’s 3-point revolution, he views the 23-year-old Edwards as a potential heir to the throne. With 94 triples this season and a shooting percentage of 42.3 percent, Edwards leads the league.

To further support Curry’s belief, Edwards has made 883 three-pointers in his career. Curry didn’t reach that total until he was 26 years old.

When asked by Rachel Nichols of All the Smoke Productions which of his Olympic gold medal teammates influenced him the most, Edwards cited Curry’s mechanics and unique movement off the ball.

“I would say Steph,” Edwards said. “Without passing the ball, running around, cutting, setting up screens, getting guys open. Steph did that throughout the Olympics and I definitely try to emulate that.”

It works. Edwards is averaging 26.2 points per game this season, shooting 44.3 percent overall, and has 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

Curry, who missed Thursday’s win over Houston because of sore knees, is averaging 22.6 points and shooting 45.6 percent from the field, including 41.9 percent from distance, along with 5.6 rebounds and 6. 6 assists.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast