After last season, Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards has made a household name for himself. Edwards was the key player by leading the Timberwolves back to the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. But with a bigger spotlight, Edwards has also drawn criticism — especially from older players. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Edwards was asked how his generation of basketball players compared to those that came before it, a regular topic of discussion in NBA discourse. Edwards responded by boldly calling out previous generations for their lack of talent — with the exception of Hall of Fame point guard Michael Jordan. Those comments put Edwards in the crosshairs of former NBA legends, with Rachid Wallace THE last to shoot their feelings towards Edwards.

“I love Ant-Man, too, but here’s my take: At this point in his career, in my opinion, he’s no better than Derrick McKey,” Wallace said. “He’s no better than Grant Hill. He’s no better than Scottie Pippen. You know what I mean?”

“I’m talking about both sides of the ball now. You know Derrick McKey was a defender. He’s not a defender. He’s getting better, but he’s not a defender yet.”

When discussing some of the NBA’s best defenders, Wallace is no doubt irritated by Edwards’ comments. However, Wallace’s comments regarding Edwards’ defense are off base. Edwards is a defensive stud, thanks to his natural size and athleticism. Over the course of an 82-game series, it can be easy to overlook him, with all eyes focused on Edwards’ dynamic scoring. However, in the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets, Edwards’ defense was on full display.

Anthony Edwards’ defense carried Timberwolves to NBA playoffs

    Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) controls the ball as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) guards in the fourth quarter during Game 5 of the second round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena.
Images by Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn

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In Game 7 of the series between Minnesota and the Denver Nuggets, Edwards struggled to put the ball in the basket and finished with a pitiful 16 points on 6-of-24 shooting. While Edwards still contributed offensively with his playmaking, what stood out was his lockdown defense on Nuggets superstar Jamal Murray.

In the Timberwolves’ 98-90 win, Murray scored 35 points, leading the Nuggets in scoring. However, Murray had to attempt 27 shots to do so. Due to Edwards’ defense, Murray only made 13 of those 27 attempts, struggling to find a consistent rhythm in a single-elimination game.

Overall, Edwards has allowed Murray to score 17 points per game on 40.3 percent shooting. Those numbers are significantly lower than Murray’s average during the regular season. So despite what Wallace might have to say, Edwards is a pretty solid defender. He may not have the accolades to match just yet. But if Edwards leads Minnesota to a title, he’ll silence all of his critics.

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