The Timberwolves are down 0-2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but it’s not for a lack of trying from Anthony Edwards. The young wolf has given everything for his team this season, even playing through an ankle injury to maximize the odds. According to one executive, Edwards’ ability to bounce back and play through the pain reminds him of LeBron James.
“It is a tweaked right ankle strain but not enough for him to have an actual designation on the injury report. He’s going to continue to play on it, I’m told he felt really good this morning,” said Shams Charania. “He has this uncanny ability to play through pain, to have these gruesome-looking injuries and just bounce back. One team executive today told me it reminds him a lot of LeBron James in the way both guys can have these ugly injuries… and then 15 minutes later they’re able to bounce right back.”
When it comes to health and durability, LeBron James is the highest standard. The 22-year NBA veteran is an expert at taking care of his body and finding the balance between rest and work. He’s been a model of consistency for over two decades and has a way of bouncing back from injuries like nobody else in the league.
Over the years, the King has taken pride in being consistently healthy and available for his team, but when he has been injured or suffered some kind of fall on the court, it’s never long before he’s back in the fold and delivering high-quality basketball on the court.
Sadly, not even James could have played on after suffering a Grade 2 MCL sprain in the playoffs, but you can bet that he’ll be healthy and ready to go again next season. In Minnesota, Anthony Edwards has a similar gift of durability, and even when he’s down, it’s never for long.
The good thing is, it isn’t a major injury that’s plaguing Edwards, but it was enough to cause minor pain and discomfort. He briefly left in the first quarter of Game 1 of the series and returned to finish out the game, but he struggled to get it going with just 18 points in 36 minutes.
In Game 2, Edwards still wasn’t 100%, but you couldn’t tell from the box score. Despite the 15-point loss, Anthony was dominant on the floor tonight with 32 points, nine rebounds, and six assists on 46.2% shooting. He was the only beacon of hope for Minnesota, but without help from the supporting cast, it wasn’t enough to escape with a win.
With Game 3 back in Minnesota, the Timberwolves have one last chance to take a stand in the series by avoiding a 0-3 hole. More than anything, Edwards will be the key to their success, and he’s not going to let anything hold him back from leading the charge for his team.
With premium durability and an ability to recover from ugly-looking injuries, Edwards already shares some traits with LeBron James, but he will not be satisfied until he adds a Larry O’Brien trophy to his collection. At 23 years old, Edwards still has a lot to prove, and there’s so much more he hopes to accomplish with the time he has left in the spotlight.
