After securing the sixth seed in the West, the Minnesota Timberwolves are set to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of this year’s NBA playoffs. For young star Anthony Edwards, that means a battle against 4x champion LeBron James, who has a strong case for being the GOAT of the sport.
“It means a lot to match up against him, man,” said Edwards via Jon Krawcynski. “Probably goes down as the greatest player to ever play basketball. Trying to get putting him out of the playoffs under my belt is going to be a tough one, but it’s going to be a fun road.”
This isn’t Edwards’ first time against elite competition. Last year, he beat the Suns and Nuggets en route to the Western Conference Finals and pushed the Mavericks to five games before elimination. In that series, just like this one, the Timberwolves are underdogs to win, but Edwards believes his team is right on par with the best of the best.
“I just love it. It’s dope. I love the fact that everybody wants the Lakers to win,” said Edwards. “That’s how it’s supposed to be. They don’t want the Timberwolves to win. I get it.”
Anthony Edwards may not want to be the face of the league, but he’s certainly trending that way as he builds up his legacy with the Timberwolves. The 3x All-Star just finished his best season yet as a pro with career-high averages of 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 44.7% shooting.
Despite a rocky start early in the season, the Timberwolves found a rhythm down the stretch and began to win games at an impressive pace. Alongside Edwards were proven veterans like Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, and Jaden McDaniels. They elevated the Timberwolves to a top-six position in the West and managed to avoid the play-in.
Now, they will face their toughest challenge yet against LeBron James and the new-look Lakers. The arrival of Luka Doncic has changed everything for the organization both on and off the court. With Doncic in control, the Lakers have become a different team, and the Timberwolves may not have time to figure them out before it’s too late.
Out of four matchups this season, the Lakers are 3-1 against the Timberwolves and are 1-0 with Luka on the floor. In their most recent matchup back in February, it was LeBron James who went off with a game-high 33 points on 11-21 shooting.
Between their talent and experience, it’s no wonder that the Lakers are so heavily favored to win this series. They have all the tools necessary for success against a Timberwolves team that’s younger, less experienced, and all-around less talented than they are.
Despite the overwhelming odds, however, Edwards still has faith that they can pull off an upset, and he will do whatever it takes to bring a championship to Minnesota. With size, strength, and brilliant shot-making, the Timberwolves have a chance to pull off something special, but it remains to be seen if they can step up and rise to the occasion.
