Minnesota Timberwolves superstar, Anthony Edwards, is not ignorant regarding their odds against the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite being the underdogs, the young three-time All-Star is embracing the opportunity to potentially play spoiler in the first round of the upcoming NBA Playoffs. FanDuel currently has the Lakers favored at -186 odds to win the first round. However, Edwards is not phased.
“I just love it. It’s dope,” Edwards said. “I love the fact that everybody wants the Lakers to win. That’s how it’s supposed to be. They don’t want the Timberwolves to win. I get it.”
Edwards also talked about going up against LeBron James, whom he was teammates with on Team USA last summer.
“It means a lot to matchup against him, man,” The Minnesota guard said. “Probably goes down as the greatest player to ever play basketball. Trying to get putting him out of the playoffs under my belt is going to be a tough one, but it’s going to be a fun road.”
Game One will tip-off on April 19th at 7:30 central time on ABC.
Anthony Edwards Relishing Timberwolves’ Underdog Status
Anthony Edwards’ Impressive Season
Edwards had another All-NBA caliber campaign this season. During the regular season, he averaged 27.6 points, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 5.7 total rebounds per game. The one-time All-NBA Team member also improved his three-point shooting percentage as he shot 39.5 percent from beyond the arc (he averaged 35.7 percent from that range last year). What makes this improvement impressive was the fact that Edwards dramatically increased his attempts from that territory. Last season, he averaged a three-point attempt rate of 34.1 percent. This season he is authoring a rate of 50.3 percent. This has given Minnesota’s offensive attack an extra dimension this year. As a result, this could prove valuable as the Timberwolves go up against an opponent many feel present plenty of matchup problems.
Can the Timberwolves go on Another Deep Playoff Run?
Minnesota certainly has their work cut out for them. Not only are they going up against a Lakers squad that was basically gift-wrapped, and hand delivered a top-three talent in Luka Dončić, but they will also be going up against one of the hottest teams post All-Star break who will have home court advantage. Remember, Dončić did a number on the Timberwolves last year in the Western Conference Finals when he was a member of the Dallas Mavericks. Now, he is paired with arguably the greatest player the sport has ever seen in LeBron James. Expect the Lakers to test Minnesota center, Rudy Gobert. They will make him make defensive plays out on the perimeter drawing him away from the paint which is where he thrives.
Much like the Mavericks attacked the Timberwolves last season. On the flip side, Anthony Edwards is in his prime. As a result, he is hungry to add to his basketball resume. Furthermore, the Timberwolves are no strangers to playing spoilers in the postseason. They defeated who were then, the defending champion Denver Nuggets last year in the Western Conference Semifinals. Moreover, this Timberwolves roster is not exactly the same as what Luka Dončić dissected in last year’s playoffs. Julius Randle may not be Karl-Anthony Towns, but he has played well down the stretch of the season. Considering all of this, the NBA world should expect a great series between these two red-hot squads.
