Everyone knows in the playoffs that some players start to be invisible when they reach this level of play, mainly because they can't stand such high-intensity confrontations and can't break the game. But for some players, the more they play, the more they like it, because it's the best stage to show themselves. You can look at this year's playoffs, there are a lot of such players. Maxi everyone has seen it, the guy is also quite powerful, and overall he plays better than Embiid. He averaged 29.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game in six playoff games, shooting 47.8% from the field and 40% from three-point range. In the fifth game, he even got 46 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds, shooting 56.7% from the field and 58.3% from three-point range. At present, the guy's big contract is stable.
There's another player we need to be aware of, and that's Brunson. Brunson is the strongest second-round pick in the East and the No. 1 guard in the East. How fierce Brunson is this season, in 10 games, Brunson averaged 32.9 points and 7.6 assists per game, and also shot 44.3% from the field. Some people may have said that Brunson's last two games have not been able to stand up, mainly because the guy played the game with an injury, and it was obvious that the feeling in the game was wrong. In fact, players like Brunson who are not very talented, they can play so tough in the playoffs, they have already cashed in their value, and Bill Embiid, who is very talented but very soft in the playoffs, has performed much better.
Of course, if you want to talk about the league's No. 1 guard in this year's playoffs, it must not be Maxey and Brunson, but Edwards. Let's look at a few numbers. In the second round, Edwards scored efficiently in three of the four games. G1 scored 43 points while shooting 58.6% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range. G2 scored 27 points and shot 64.7% from the field. G4 scored 44 points and shot 64.0 percent from the field. In the second round, he scored 40+ points in a single game twice, and in terms of this data, he is currently the first in the league. Of course, throughout the playoffs, Edwards averaged 32.1 points, 5.6 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 56.0% from the field and 44.1% from three-point range.
As far as Edwards' performance in this year's playoffs is concerned, no one must be unconvinced to say that he is the first guard. There is no controversy from the point of view of data or the effect of leading the team. The Timberwolves were able to hold the defending champion in the playoffs for a while, in fact, because of Edwards' presence and more mature play this year. In the second round, 44+43+27, carrying the team forward. Just imagine, in the fierce playoff, there is still a 56% shooting rate, and some centers may not be able to do this, let alone a guard, which is even more commendable. Of course, Edwards is a combination of talent and hard work, and no matter where he goes in this year's playoffs, he has officially announced the new king of the league.
For the league, stars such as James, Durant, and Curry will definitely retire in 3-4 years, and the league needs a façade. Now it seems that Morant can't help up, Tatum's side is still soft, Zion is injured and injured, but Edwards's side can fully support the league's façade. Regardless, the '01-born player has played his own character in the league and is the most favored player of the new generation. Of course, Edwards' next task is to lead the team out of the quagmire.