Before the start of the playoffs, the Timberwolves were considered one of the most "wronged" teams of the season, and they clearly led the 9th place Pelicans in the West Side by 10 wins, but they still had to play the playoffs and faced the danger of missing out on the playoffs. Fortunately, the Timberwolves defeated the Clippers today and directly advanced, and the 2020 champion Anthony Edwards also ushered in the first playoff trip of his career.
The Timberwolves can make it to this year's playoffs, and Edwards deserves a credit. Towns had no feel in the game, and it was Edwards and Russell who worked together to prop up the Timberwolves. With 7:34 left in the fourth quarter, Towns left the field with six fouls left and Edwards taking over. He first stole Reggie Jackson to cause an opponent to foul, assisted his teammates with three-point shots, and then personally made a layup. Of the Timberwolves' final 23 points, 13 were due to Edwards. His breakthrough and Russell's projection of the double fist finally led to the Clippers' heading.
The performance of the second-year champion was widely praised. After the Timberwolves won, the youth showdown between Edwards and Morant, the two major defenders, was even greatly addicted to the US media, and Morant also quipped: "The ads that are warmed up for the playoffs will explode." Timberwolves coach Finch was proud of the player's performance, and Clippers coach Tyrone Lu said in a word: "The Timberwolves have performed much better without Towns." Edwards himself proudly declared: "The opponent is afraid to defend me, I will continue to make the game simple." ”
Edwards' performance in this way is to justify the name of the Timberwolves and the name of the champion in recent years. Since 2016, when Heyuan Ben Simmons won the rookie king (although the "relegation" did not win until 2017), for several years, It seems that Yuanxiu has been making wedding dresses for other rookies of the same year. In 2017, Fultz was thrown out of several positions by Tatum; in 2018, Fcic and Trae Young, whose reputation was not as good as that of the year; and in 2019, Zion's current limelight was also overshadowed by Morant. Even this season, Evan Mobley and Scotty Barnes have been elected as rookie kings, which is higher than that of their contemporaries, Cade Corningham.
Edwards also failed to win the rookie king, giving the award to Lamelo Ball, who also won the all-star favor this season. But now, while the Hornets' playoff prospects are still in doubt, Edwards is ahead of him in the playoffs, and he is relying on his own performance to personally lock in playoff spots. You know, this is only the second playoff trip of the Timberwolves in nearly 17 years.
Edwards, 20, was born in Atlanta on August 5, 2001. His childhood was bumpy, with his father leaving when he was young, his mother and grandmother dying in 2015, and his older siblings taking on the responsibility of continuing to raise him. Perhaps a natural sports wizard, Edwards dabbled in multiple sports at an early age. He started out playing football and was one of the best running backs of his age in the country by the age of 10. After entering high school, he was also a member of the school baseball team.
But under the influence of his brothers, Edwards chose basketball because "it looks more fun." In the early years, he attended Cerrell High School and Holy Spirit Preparatory High School in his hometown, led the team to win the AAA state championship, and was named the best high school team in the United States by the US media, and he was also selected to the All-American Team in 2019. Major media outlets have named him a five-star high school student. He was in the top 5 of the Class of 2019 and was named the first quarterback.
After turning down invitations from prestigious universities such as North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, and Florida, Edwards chose the University of Georgia because his idols Wade and Oladipo were once proud protégés of the school's men's basketball coach Tom Corrien. At the University of Georgia, Edwards played in 32 games, averaging 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, shooting 40.2% from the field, and was named the best second team in the SEC division and was named the best freshman in the division.
With the aura of the first quarterback of the national university, Edwards was selected as the winner by the Timberwolves in 2020. However, he was not greeted by a red carpet full of flowers in the professional arena. Edwards, who is not efficient in the NCAA, was also inefficient at the beginning of the rookie season. At the beginning of 2021, he even scored only 8.6 points in seven consecutive games, shooting an overall of 24.1% and a three-point shooting rate of 25%, and by mid-February, he had suffered turbulence, shooting less than 30% in four consecutive games. For a time, people lamented that the Timberwolves had chosen a parallel cargo leader.
But after entering March 2021, Edwards' performance gradually improved. From the beginning of March to the end of the season, he played in 37 games, averaging 23.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and his two-game shooting percentage surged to 45.1% and 34.1%. During this period, he scored 42 points against the Suns and Grizzlies respectively, becoming the masterpiece of his rookie season.
As the back end began to exert strength, Edwards gave up the rookie king to three goals, which also prompted him to practice hard in the 2021 offseason. The results of the training are remarkable. In this season's regular season, Edwards played in 72 games, averaging 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game, shooting 44.1% and 35.7% from both fields, which is an all-round improvement compared to the rookie season. This season, he scored 30+ in nine games and 40+ in three games, and scored 49 points against the Spurs on April 8, setting a new career single-game scoring record.
While his basketball skills have improved by leaps and bounds, Edwards has continued to develop after entering the league. According to Timberwolves coach Finch, Edwards grew 5 centimeters taller and more powerful than in the draft. This has also allowed Edwards' defense to be praised by managers and teammates often this season. Russell even said: "Looking at his defensive performance, I thought he was Beverly. ”
Previously, Edwards left the impression that he was talented, a strong and passionate "Ant-Man", but the technology was still flawed. Fortunately, he did not waste his talent, but with the characteristics of hard work and good at learning, he achieved a leap in the second year of his career, much earlier than people expected, and also made the Timberwolves executives happy with their original choice.
Now, looking back at Edwards' rhetoric (he once said that he would achieve 3 big wishes in 5 years: winning the championship, being elected MVP and becoming the face of the league), will you think that he must be bragging? (Supine Braces/Hairy)