Anthony Edwards‘ performances in the playoffs have elevated him to superstardom. The Minnesota Timberwolves guard has taken over the mantle of leading his team and becoming the closer in the fourth quarter, which has worked exceptionally well for the franchise. The 22-year-old’s meteoric rise has surprised most fans and analysts, but for Trevor Ariza, it’s vindication.
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During an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast in December 2023, the former Los Angeles Lakers star claimed Edwards was the best player in the NBA. The bold statement earned Ariza plenty of ridicule, but on the latest episode of the All The Smoke Podcast, the 38-year-old took a victory lap after Edwards and the Timberwolves eliminated Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets from the playoffs. He said,
“[I said] Anthony Edwards is that n***a and everybody’s like, ‘Ah, he’s a good player,’ whatever, but I just seen it… And it’s just not his game. It’s how he encourages his teammates, how he leads by example. It’s how he takes coaching. It’s how everything he does and is still the player that he is… He not going to back down from s**t. He wants that action… He got all the attributes and he moves like Mike (Michael Jordan).”
Ariza’s point about Edwards being the complete package is spot on. His impact on the court aside, the young guard has shown maturity beyond his years leading the Timberwolves. His epic back-and-forth with Kevin Durant during the first round, where he yelled obscenities at the two-time Finals MVP during the game, showcased that he isn’t scared of talking trash because he can back it up on the court.
Edwards and the Timberwolves’ ascension has been the biggest story of these playoffs, and while they’ve already exceeded expectations, they are far from done.
Timberwolves taking down Nuggets shocked Skip Bayless and Paul Pierce
Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves’ stunning series win over the Denver Nuggets did not surprise Trevor Ariza, but he is in the minority. Skip Bayless and Paul Pierce are among the majority who picked the defending champions to upstage the upstarts, and expressed their astonishment about Minnesota’s win on Undisputed. The Hall of Famer said,
“I’m in complete shock. I never thought the Denver Nuggets, as good as a home team they’ve been over the last few years, would lose three games in one playoff series at home.”
Bayless claimed he expected the Nuggets’ role players to step up in Game 7, as they have in the past, and beat the Timberwolves at home. But they were almost a non-factor on offense, as Denver’s six players outside Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokić, combined for only 21 points on 8-of-27 shooting, which cost them the game and their title defense.
Bayless and Pierce gave the Timberwolves credit for their exceptional defensive display and, like Ariza, have turned into admirers of Anthony Edwards, who’s looking to lead his team to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
