Anthony Edwards is increasingly asserting his stature as a top NBA star in the Minnesota Timberwolves shirt. One thing worth noting is that the 22-year-old defender has many similarities with basketball legend Michael Jordan. That’s why the two are often put on the comparison table.
Similarities between Edwards and Jordan
Besides great physical strength, solid defense and accurate mid-range throws, both Edwards and Jordan have in common that they are the type of players who know how to shine at the right time.
Edwards’ Timberwolves faced elimination in Game 6 of the NBA Western Regional semi-finals against the Denver Nuggets. However, the defender born in 2001 played great and got 27 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. In particular, he scored 14 points in the first round. Edwards’ performance contributed greatly to helping Minnesota win.
Also after this match, the 22-year-old defender became the 5th player in NBA Playoff history to record at least 600 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists. Those who did the same thing against Edwards were Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Tracy McGrady.
After his first three seasons in the NBA, Edwards participated in 21 Playoff games with an average of 29.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists. His scoring rate (excluding free throws) is 50% and his 3-point shooting rate is 39.9%. This season, Edwards had 3 Playoff games scoring more than 40 points. The last time he did it was in game 4 against the Denver Nuggets (scoring 44 points).
For comparison, Michael Jordan only played 10 Playoff games in the first 3 seasons of his career. The former player born in 1963’s Chicago Bulls were eliminated in the first round of the Playoff for 3 consecutive seasons from 1985-1987 with a record of 1 win and 9 losses. However, Jordan contributed an average of 35.5 points, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 6.9 assists per game. It’s just a shame that the satellites around the former American star are not strong enough to bring the Bulls to victory.
In the 1986/87 season, the Bulls’ 2nd and 3rd highest average scorers in the Regular Season were Charles Oakley (14.5) and John Paxson (11.3). Meanwhile, Jordan leads with an average of 37.1 points/game. He became the second best player in NBA history at this achievement, after Wilt Chamberlain.
As for Edwards, he leads the Timberwolves this season with an average of 25.9 points/game in the Regular Season. The remaining names like Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid, Mike Conley and Jaden McDaniels only average more than 10 points/game.
How are Edwards and Jordan different?
Jordan and Edwards possess similar personalities, which is the desire to win. However, the way they express themselves shows the difference. If Jordan was hot-tempered and sometimes scared his teammates, Edwards was a softer player and received absolute admiration in Minnesota’s locker room.
Edwards is not afraid to use words to attack his opponents. However, people often see players born in 2001 giving advice to teammates right on the field or while sitting on the bench. Edwards also did not hesitate to highlight his teammates’ contributions in press conferences.
The biggest difference between Edwards and Jordan is their ability to shoot 3-pointers effectively. In the 2023/24 season, Edwards made exactly 190/532 throws (35.7%). Meanwhile, Jordan was only successful 179/625 times (28.6%) in the period 1984/85 to 1990/91.
Edwards promises to prove the difference with Jordan even more clearly if he takes the Timberwolves past the Nuggets in game 7. Michael Jordan could not get past the first round of the Playoff in the first 3 years. He only made it in his fourth year (1988) and in 1989, he reached the regional final for the first time.
In 1991, Jordan won the first NBA finals of his career at the age of 28. He continued to win the throne for the next 6/8 years, culminating in his final title in 1998 at the age of 35.
If Edwards can bring the Timberwolves to the finals this year, it will be reminiscent of another legend, Kobe Bryant. The late American player won the championship in 2000 when he was only 21 years old. Bryant continued to lead the Lakers to the championship two more times in 2001 and 2002.
A young player like Edwards of course still has many opportunities to achieve success like Jordan or Bryant. But with what’s going on, 2024 could be the year that the Ants assert themselves as the representative face of the NBA. The championship will ensure Edwards does just that.