Anthony Edwards recently claimed that he will be the best player in the league in 2–3 years. However, it looks like the 22-year-old youngster wants to achieve that feat in the playoffs this season. In game 1 of an exciting match-up between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns, Edwards put on a show in front of his home crowd, taunted his opponents, and also grabbed a crucial win to draw comparisons with Michael Jordan.
This is not the first time Edwards has been compared with MJ. But let’s see what pushed a former Boston Celtics icon to make the bold claim this time. The Suns stood no chance against Edwards and the Wolves, as they got blown out 120-95 in their first game of the playoffs this year.
Although many are siding with Kevin Durant and Co. to win the series this year, it looks like he will not allow that to happen easily. Shooting 58% from the field, Anthony Edwards finished the game with a team-high of 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Kendrick Perkins, who was in awe of this performance from the youngster, decided to compare Edwards to a 1989 Jordan. He wrote on Twitter, “1989 Jordan is what we’re witnessing right now!!!”. 1989 was one of the best versions of Michael Jordan.
The Chicago Bulls legend averaged 32.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in 1989, when he was just about 26 years old. Notably, he averaged 34.8 points in the 17 games he played in the postseason that year. So, is Perkins predicting something big from Edwards for the rest of the playoffs? We will get to know that soon. Also, Perkins was not the only former Celtics star to speak highly of Edwards today.
A 2008 Boston Celtics champion is rooting for Anthony Edwards to win MVP
Edwards is not in the top 3 of the Kia NBA MVP ladder. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, OKC superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Mavericks sensation Luka Doncic are the top 3 in the MVP race. However, with the Wolves finishing third in a tight Western Conference, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he got a good number of first-place votes for MVP. Anyhow, in the eyes of former Timberwolves superstar Kevin Garnett, Edwards is the MVP.
After Edwards took over in the third quarter, Garnett tweeted, “MVP activity goin on in Sota #AntMan“, letting his fans know his choice for the MVP. The highlight of the game was Edwards hitting a tough three over his idol Kevin Durant, which allowed him to taunt the Suns superstar. That’s something MJ would do too! So, we can say Perkins was pretty accurate with his claim.
