While some analysts and fans have tried to make comparisons between Anthony Edwards’ style of playing in the style of Michael Jordan, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Chris…
By Adam Wells
Although some analysts and fans have been trying to make comparisons between Anthony Edwards’ style of play to Michael Jordan, Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Chris Hines invoked a different athlete from another sport for an appropriate analogy.
Interviewing the Athlete’s Jon Krawczynski and Joe Vardon, Hines sees elements of Mike Tyson in the way Edwards plays because “it’s hard to beat him” when he sees the fear of an opponent.
“And I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, they f—d up. It’s over,'” Hines declared. “Doesn’t matter who’s in front of him. He’s going to figure out how to lock you the f-ck up or score on you every time and annihilate your whole team.”
The Jordan comparisons aren’t fair in this moment just because Edwards hasn’t had enough time to develop a resume that is worthy of the comparison. He’s just 22 and it’s his very first postseason campaign.
Jordan’s age-related season was his second season playing in Jordan’s second year in NBA and he played just 18 games due to a fractured foot. Jordan returned the next season, and he kicked into one of the best streaks of any athlete to date as he led all league scoring seven consecutive seasons from 1986-87 until 1992-93. He also won three straight championships before retiring for the first time.
Edwards has ruled out criticisms of Jordan when Edwards stated to the ESPN’s Malika Andrews that he would like to be considered his own person before taking a slight attack on the Hall of Hall of Famer.
“I want people to be like, ‘This Anthony Edwards kid, he’s got his own style. He’s maybe got a mix of Michael Jordan in him,'” Edwards stated. “But I’ve got a trey ball, I can shoot the three. So, I think that makes me a little different than Michael Jordan.”
Tyson is a fascinating comparison due to his invincibility when the moment he faced someone that he could not knock out.
Edwards has an advantage on Tyson in this regard, as the Timberwolves were forced into a corner during the Western Conference semifinals against the Denver Nuggets before responding with victories in games 6 – and 7.
Two-time All-Star, Edwards is clearly becoming an elite player. He was selected for the All-NBA team for the first time in his career in this season. The Georgia native is among the most scoring games of the Timberwolves player during the playoffs, and three of them happening in the postseason.
If Edwards succeeds in leading the T-Wolves team that has been operating for the majority of its existence as a flimsy attempt to win winning an NBA championship this year, then his already high stock will rise.
