While some of the most prominent NBA superstars of the past decade or so have either exited in the first round of the playoffs or missed the playoffs altogether, there is a new crop of leading stars ready to take their place.
One of them is Anthony Edwards, who ended the season of one of those veteran superstars — Kevin Durant — by leading his Minnesota Timberwolves to a first-round sweep of the Phoenix Suns.
Edwards isn’t just one of the most talented and skilled players in the game today, but he’s also one of the most confident superstars around, which led teammate Mike Conley to say that Edwards reminds him of a young Michael Jordan, per ClutchPoints.
Shaq: “Who does Anthony Edwards remind you of?”
Mike Conley: “A young Michael Jordan. He’s unbelievable… I think he thinks he’s the best player ever to play the game.”
(via @NBAonTNT)pic.twitter.com/p1SsUv5N0W
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 1, 2024
Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest player in basketball history, and he got there not just because of his athleticism, work ethic, and desire but also because of his immense confidence.
Edwards possesses similar confidence, and he has said publicly that he will soon become the best player in the NBA.
He seems to be on track to making good on his word — he averaged 25.9 points and 5.1 assists a game in the regular season, but in the series versus Phoenix, he put up 31.0 points and 6.3 assists a game while increasing his shooting efficiency.
In Game 4, he scored 40 points, with 31 of them coming in the second half as the Timberwolves pulled away from the floundering Suns.
Edwards now has an immense opportunity to further prove he’s on his way to becoming the best in the world, as his team will take on the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs.
Most agree that Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets is the best player around, and by leading the Timberwolves to a series win over Denver, Edwards can get closer to being the best by beating the best.
NEXT:
Karl-Anthony Towns Doesn’t Hold Back His Thoughts On Anthony Edwards