If the wolves win this year like it or not…

[ChipotleWest]

Edwards enters Team USA locker room and says "there's a new sheriff in town"

There might be tension in the Team USA locker room after the Wolves beat the Celtics in the Finals. Tatum will b mad.

[GrandTheftRondo]

Why you dragging Tatum into this? The Wolves aren't ready. It's a wait your turn league.

It ain't their turn.

Because what has Tatum done and won so far? Nothing, probably one of the most overrated players of all time in my honest opinion. Ant is already better than him.

Did just as much as Ant at the same age.

Don’t worry if Ant has a couple of WCF berths and doesn’t get a chip by 25 he’ll end up getting torn down by people just like you’re ridiculously doing here with Tatum.

What a garbage take by you

[picc]

I think Ant is getting a tad overrated to be quite honest. It’s definitely not just him doing this. KAT and Reid have been incredible offensively too, and he isn’t even the best or even the second best defender on his team (McDaniels, NAW, and Gobert do more on defense)

He’s a great young talent and a likable guy though. Just not sure if I’m willing to say he’s on that MJ Bron Kobe level yet.

What's become apparent to me is that he's in the perfect basketball situation for a talented scoring guard. I noticed it first in the Suns series when he was outplaying Booker due to a lot of circumstances outside of Booker's control, and I'm noticing it more now.

- Insane defensive team around him with switchable defenders, allowing him to lock in on anyone for a period and then pass him off to another all-nba defender
- Insane defensive team allowing him to press up on people knowing Gobert is in the paint and the rest of the team is locked in on defensive rotations
- Point guard to handle the ball and run and organize the team (which Booker did not have, for instance)
- Multiple floor spacing bigs who shoot the three at high percentage, one of which is also a 25ppg scorer

I'm not saying Ant isn't great, because he obviously is. Just anybody couldn't do what he's doing. But the complete-ness of the team is really visible and Ant doesn't really have to do anything extra or out of his comfort zone.

The coaching is also to thank for that. I wasn't really familiar with Chris Finch before this, but anyone who can coach a defensive team like this deserves recognition and admiration.

[EmpireFalls]

I think Ant is getting a tad overrated to be quite honest. It’s definitely not just him doing this. KAT and Reid have been incredible offensively too, and he isn’t even the best or even the second best defender on his team (McDaniels, NAW, and Gobert do more on defense)

He’s a great young talent and a likable guy though. Just not sure if I’m willing to say he’s on that MJ Bron Kobe level yet.

Because he’s likeable and aesthetically pleasing to watch people are desperate for him to ascend into an all time great quickly while ignoring the rest of his teams talent.

Even calling him “likable” is kind of crazy just because he’s goofy and always smiling on the court. Off the court, he was streaming himself using homophobic slurs and then got caught cheating on his wife of two months with another girl who he had to bribe to get an abortion. Probably other things too that I’m not remembering right now.

Terrific player sure but I see people labeling him a “role player” type guy and that’s insane to me. There’s a difference between guys like LeBron/Steph etc who never got caught up in any off court crap like Edwards does.

To me at least, there’s a pretty big difference between what LeBron/Steph were doing on court and what Ant is doing on court too.

He is quite young though. So not trying to hate. I just think his teammates deserve a lot more praise is all - a lot more praise. The way KAT and Reid handled Jokic tonight is something no team has been able to do all season. Ant had absolutely nothing to do with that, give the bigs some love.

But NBA media has to make it all about the star. If his supporting cast plays awesome, praise the star. The next night, he could play the exact same level of play, but if his teammates crap the bed, the star is an overrated fraud. Sigh.

[GrandTheftRondo]

I think Ant is getting a tad overrated to be quite honest. It’s definitely not just him doing this. KAT and Reid have been incredible offensively too, and he isn’t even the best or even the second best defender on his team (McDaniels, NAW, and Gobert do more on defense)

He’s a great young talent and a likable guy though. Just not sure if I’m willing to say he’s on that MJ Bron Kobe level yet.

Because he’s likeable and aesthetically pleasing to watch people are desperate for him to ascend into an all time great quickly while ignoring the rest of his teams talent.

Even calling him “likable” is kind of crazy just because he’s goofy and always smiling on the court. Off the court, he was streaming himself using homophobic slurs and then got caught cheating on his wife of two months with another girl who he had to bribe to get an abortion. Probably other things too that I’m not remembering right now.

Terrific player sure but I see people labeling him a “role player” type guy and that’s insane to me. There’s a difference between guys like LeBron/Steph etc who never got caught up in any off court crap like Edwards does.

Yeah but casual fans don’t see any of that stuff.

They see the goofy interviews, the charisma, flashy dunks etc.

Kobe and MJ had stuff come out about them and that didn’t stop them being widely adored by all sorts of people.

[CobraCommander]

Edwards enters Team USA locker room and says "there's a new sheriff in town"

There might be tension in the Team USA locker room after the Wolves beat the Celtics in the Finals. Tatum will b mad.

If he dunks on Tatum like He did on KD and Beal, Tatum will STFU and nod in agreement

[EmpireFalls]

I think Ant is getting a tad overrated to be quite honest. It’s definitely not just him doing this. KAT and Reid have been incredible offensively too, and he isn’t even the best or even the second best defender on his team (McDaniels, NAW, and Gobert do more on defense)

He’s a great young talent and a likable guy though. Just not sure if I’m willing to say he’s on that MJ Bron Kobe level yet.

What's become apparent to me is that he's in the perfect basketball situation for a talented scoring guard. I noticed it first in the Suns series when he was outplaying Booker due to a lot of circumstances outside of Booker's control, and I'm noticing it more now.

- Insane defensive team around him with switchable defenders, allowing him to lock in on anyone for a period and then pass him off to another all-nba defender
- Insane defensive team allowing him to press up on people knowing Gobert is in the paint and the rest of the team is locked in on defensive rotations
- Point guard to handle the ball and run and organize the team (which Booker did not have, for instance)
- Multiple floor spacing bigs who shoot the three at high percentage, one of which is also a 25ppg scorer

I'm not saying Ant isn't great, because he obviously is. Just anybody couldn't do what he's doing. But the complete-ness of the team is really visible and Ant doesn't really have to do anything extra or out of his comfort zone.

The coaching is also to thank for that. I wasn't really familiar with Chris Finch before this, but anyone who can coach a defensive team like this deserves recognition and admiration.

Maybe he really is the next Jordan after all?

Because that sounds an awful lot like the Bulls formula they found in the early 90s and especially 1996.

[picc]

Maybe he really is the next Jordan after all?

Because that sounds an awful lot like the Bulls formula they found in the early 90s and especially 1996.

It's the formula for a lot of great teams.

[Edrees]

When Giannis won he was hyped as the next GOAT
Then Jokic
Whoever wins this year they'll do it again

it's annoying. wait until a player wins a few titles before you start calling him a GOAT. people just can't help themselves

[CobraCommander]

Don't forget to mention that the Gobert trade was probably the best trade ever and that the Wolves fleeced the Jazz.

Wait I heard Ainge won that trade and defense is over rated

[Special_Puppy]

I think Ant is getting a tad overrated to be quite honest. It’s definitely not just him doing this. KAT and Reid have been incredible offensively too, and he isn’t even the best or even the second best defender on his team (McDaniels, NAW, and Gobert do more on defense)

He’s a great young talent and a likable guy though. Just not sure if I’m willing to say he’s on that MJ Bron Kobe level yet.

Yeah he's been *incredible* so far this post season, but let him get more games under his belt before we compare him to top 3 players of all time or even call him the best player in the world. If he shows that he's able to consistently play at this level over 60+ or even 200+ games then sure give him the BITW title

[Special_Puppy]

I think Ant is getting a tad overrated to be quite honest. It’s definitely not just him doing this. KAT and Reid have been incredible offensively too, and he isn’t even the best or even the second best defender on his team (McDaniels, NAW, and Gobert do more on defense)

He’s a great young talent and a likable guy though. Just not sure if I’m willing to say he’s on that MJ Bron Kobe level yet.

What's become apparent to me is that he's in the perfect basketball situation for a talented scoring guard. I noticed it first in the Suns series when he was outplaying Booker due to a lot of circumstances outside of Booker's control, and I'm noticing it more now.

- Insane defensive team around him with switchable defenders, allowing him to lock in on anyone for a period and then pass him off to another all-nba defender
- Insane defensive team allowing him to press up on people knowing Gobert is in the paint and the rest of the team is locked in on defensive rotations
- Point guard to handle the ball and run and organize the team (which Booker did not have, for instance)
- Multiple floor spacing bigs who shoot the three at high percentage, one of which is also a 25ppg scorer

I'm not saying Ant isn't great, because he obviously is. Just anybody couldn't do what he's doing. But the complete-ness of the team is really visible and Ant doesn't really have to do anything extra or out of his comfort zone.

The coaching is also to thank for that. I wasn't really familiar with Chris Finch before this, but anyone who can coach a defensive team like this deserves recognition and admiration.

In fairness to Ant, I think the conventional wisdom before the post-season was that he had little help on offense like AI or Rose.

[Saints14]

It'd be a lot like Wade in 2006. Wade kind of became the young face of the league after winning FMVP and it vaulted him into the short list of best players, but IIRC nobody would have put him over Duncan or Kobe at the time. Ant's reputation would skyrocket but Jokic should still be considered the best in the league due to his body of work over the past 4 years

[Impuniti]

Even if they do win, anyone who thinks Edwards is the best player in the world is someone nobody should ever listen to when it comes to basketball takes. It's obnoxious that the NBA community jumps from one stupid extreme to the other. In the last 2 weeks just with Jokic alone, we have heard that he's
- the goat offensive player of all time
- best player since Jordan
- better than prime Lebron

0-2 down, and already topics about a 3x MVP 1x champion not being "him" has been made. Edwards has achieved absolutely nothing at all in the grand scheme of things. And if he wins a championship, it will just be the opening pages of lore to an actual great that he needs to fill. The best player in the world may as well change up like the weather if that's the case.

[Wigginstime]

Crazy had desperate the league and media is for the next US Superstar post Lebron/Curry.

The league has been desperate to pass of this crown, in recent years we have people tried to make a case for all of the following as best player in the league, successor Lebron/Curry
2021: Zion, but he got injured
2021: Booker - Defeated by Giannis in finals then multiple disappointing playoff runs
2022: Tatum - Defeated by Warriors, and then choked vs heat
2023: Morant - Gun Issues
2024: Brunson / ANT- TBD

[Effigy]

Don't forget to mention that the Gobert trade was probably the best trade ever and that the Wolves fleeced the Jazz.

Hyperbole of course, but nobody will rip that trade any more, and it will be pointed to as a time when teams took crazy risks and they paid off.

[Effigy]

If the wolves win this year, like it or not, worthy or not, Edwards will assume the mantle of the best player on earth and the Kobe, MJ, LeBron sportcenter lead off Ablock spot will be his….

ESPN prayed for Booker or Tatum to be this new good looking blue blooded American all star face of the league and when that was looking shaky they turned to Ja and Zion and those men got issues - but like mana from
Heaven Stephen A Smith and his bosses at ESPN have found their man and Adam Silver can rest easy knowing that he can tell Bronny, LBJ and Rich Paul - I’m out of the King James business and into the Edwards business -

It feels ordained -

I would love to see Edwards and wolves win but I swear I don’t want the fake narrative - i hope it’s organic and Luka sga Tatum Brunson and Maxey all get some time based on merit and not just narrative

That's just how it goes, OP. When a guy wins the title, we say he's the best player in the league. We're doing it with Jokic, we did it with Giannis, we did it with Kawai, etc. But it's a brief window. As soon as someone else wins we'll move on to them.

[PierceFan4ever]

Why you dragging Tatum into this? The Wolves aren't ready. It's a wait your turn league.

It ain't their turn.

Because what has Tatum done and won so far? Nothing, probably one of the most overrated players of all time in my honest opinion. Ant is already better than him.

He’s got the 2nd most playoff points ever at his age and leads the league in playoff wins and points since entering the league. But sure he’s overrated when there’s people like you thinking Edwards is better than him based off 6 games even though he isn’t gonna be all nba first team like Tatum and has played like 80 less playoff games.

[PhilBlackson]

Edwards is already being likened to MJ…he does this then without question the actual comparisons will begin.

Unfortunately for him, Victor exists and when SAS actually makes an effort to construct a real roster the world will not be able to ignore an alien among us.

[PlatinumState]

Honestly I can see Wemby being the face of the league before Edwards even if Minnesota wins the chip this year. A face of the league is a player who gets recognized by people that dont even follow basketball. Like MJ, Kobe, Shaq, Lebron...... I dont see Ant ever being that tbh. Tim Duncan was never the face of the league but a helluva player with 5 rings