The Minnesota Timberwolves took a commanding 3-1 lead on the Los Angeles Lakers in Sunday’s win at Target Center.
With the series pivoting back to Los Angeles, the Wolves only need to win one of the next three to advance.
On Monday’s edition of First Take on ESPN, Kendrick Perkins wasted no time praising Anthony Edwards and putting him ahead of Luka Doncic.
Anthony Edwards is going to win a championship before Luka Doncic. Anthony Edwards is built different. Anthony Edwards is a better all-around basketball player than Luka Doncic.
The Lakers shocked the NBA world at the trade deadline by acquiring Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster move. Doncic reset the entire Lakers timeline for whenever the post-LeBron era begins.
A year ago, Doncic and the Mavericks defeated Edwards and the Wolves in the Western Conference Finals. This time around, Edwards has elevated his game to the next level.
Perkins also sees it that way.
Not only did he (Edwards) send KD (Kevin Durant) home last year, he sent (Nikola) Jokic home last year. He’s now about to send LeBron and Luka home this season because they’re going to win this series. … This man is just built different. … He wanted smoke with LeBron. He wanted smoke with Luka. … He is a top -ive player in the game today.
It was easy for the national media to forget the run the Wolves made a season ago because it ultimately ended at the hands of Doncic. This year, Edwards is one win away from reversing that fortune, and everyone is taking notice.
If Edwards and the Wolves get this done, they will have eliminated Durant, Jokic, LeBron, and Doncic in the last two years. There’s also the potential to match up with Stephen Curry in the next round.
What Perkins said isn’t surprising to Wolves fans. Edwards is just now getting eyeballs on a national level because of what’s happening in this series.
