Some NBA teams win because of their veterans.
Others, like the Minnesota Timberwolves, are led by young stars.
Despite being in just his fourth season, Anthony Edwards has already established himself as one of the best players in the game.
He’s been arguably the best player in the playoffs thus far, leading his team to a perfect 5-0 record.
More than that, he just joined the legendary Kobe Bryant as the only two players aged 23 or younger to record back-to-back playoff games with 40+ points (via Hoop Central & StatsMamba).
Only 2 players under 23 years old to record back-to-back 40+ point playoff games:
Anthony Edwards
Kobe Bryant(via @StatMamba) https://t.co/BD6qAlqEqQ pic.twitter.com/Rlr4xlC94l
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 5, 2024
The Timberwolves are now up 1-0 against the defending NBA champions.
Edwards dominated on both ends of the floor, scoring 43 points with seven boards, three dimes, three triples, one steal, and two blocks on 17-of-29 from the court.
Needless to say, the job is far from done, just like Kobe once said, but this is definitely a great start.
The Timberwolves have been arguably the best defensive team in the league this season, but their lack of experience at this stage could still come back to haunt them.
Even so, Edwards looks far ahead of schedule.
He hasn’t entered his prime yet, but he’s already one of the faces of the league, and looks like the kind of generational talent that could turn an ever-struggling franchise into a powerhouse, just like Michael Jordan once did with the Chicago Bulls.
Whether that’ll be the case or not remains to be seen, but it’ll definitely be one of the most entertaining journeys to watch in sports.
NEXT:
Charles Barkley Has A Message For Everyone About Anthony Edwards