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Although some followers and analysts have been making an attempt to match Anthony Edwards’ model of play to Michael Jordan, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Chris Hines invoked a distinct athlete from one other sport as a extra apt analogy.
Talking to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski and Joe Vardon, Hines sees parts of Mike Tyson in the way in which Edwards performs the sport as a result of “it is onerous to beat him” when he senses concern in an opponent.
“And I am like, ‘Oh yeah, they f—-d up. It is over,'” Hines mentioned. “Does not matter who’s in entrance of him. He is going to determine find out how to lock you the f-ck up or rating on you each time and annihilate your complete staff.”
The Jordan comparisons are unfair at this level just because Edwards hasn’t had the time to construct a resume that may justify it. He is solely 22 and that is his first prolonged postseason run.
Jordan’s age-22 season was his second 12 months within the NBA and he solely performed 18 video games as a result of a damaged foot. He returned the next season, kicking off one of many biggest stretches for any athlete in historical past when he led the league in scoring for seven straight seasons from 1986-87 to 1992-93 and successful three straight titles earlier than his first retirement.
Edwards has dismissed the comparisons to Jordan when he informed ESPN’s Malika Andrews he needs to be regarded as his personal participant earlier than taking a small dig on the Corridor of Famer.
“I would like folks to be like, ‘This Anthony Edwards child, he is acquired his personal model. He is possibly acquired a mixture of Michael Jordan in him,'” Edwards mentioned. “However I’ve acquired a trey ball, I can shoot the three. So, I feel that makes me somewhat completely different than Michael Jordan.”
Tyson is an attention-grabbing comparability simply because he was invincible within the ring till he went up towards somebody he could not knock out early.
Edwards has a leg up on Tyson in that regard as a result of the Timberwolves had been backed right into a nook within the Western Convention semifinals towards the Denver Nuggets earlier than responding with wins in Video games 6 and seven.
A two-time All-Star, Edwards is clearly coming into his personal as a celebrity. He was named to the All-NBA staff for the primary time in his profession this season. The Georgia native has the highest 4 scoring video games for a Timberwolves participant within the playoffs, with three of them coming on this postseason.
If Edwards can lead a T-Wolves franchise that has spent most of its existence as an afterthought to an NBA title this season, his already-high inventory goes to undergo the roof.