"Anthony Edwards has a chance to be a superstar in this league, he is special, and he is box office” - Stephen A. Smith praises Edwards, believes he will be compared to Dwyane Wade
Anthony Edwards starred as the Minnesota Timberwolves extended their winning streak to five games by topping the Miami Heat 113-101 Wednesday night in a riveting matchup.
And while Edwards' poster dunk on Gabe Vincent stands as a signature highlight, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith sees something more than just an elite athlete who can dunk. After the game, Smith heaped praise on Anthony Edwards and compared him to one of the greatest players in NBA history, Dwyane Wade.
"Anthony Edwards has a chance to be a superstar in this league. He is special, and he is box office. And I'm thinking D Wade, and cats like that down the road, he's gonna draw comparisons to them. Anthony Edwards is special."
A quick moment to say how thankful we are for Anthony Edwards 🙏
"This brother is SPECIAL. ... And don't think for one second it's just his dunks. Anthony Edwards has a chance to be a super star in this league."
—@stephenasmith https://t.co/ay5101cVmO
Wade made the All-Star team 13 times and helped the Miami Heat win three NBA titles.
Edwards did it all on both ends of the floor against the Heat. He finished with 33 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block to power the Wolves (9-9). It has been an up-and-down season for the team, but Edwards has been a consistent producer.
How has Anthony Edwards performed so far in the NBA?
Anthony Edwards is performing at a high level. He has been impressive in leading the Wolves in scoring, considering the team already has a dominant player in center Karl-Anthony Towns.
After the Timberwolves selected Edwards with the first overall pick in the 2020 draft, he led all rookies in scoring with 19.3 points per game and finished second in voting for Rookie of the Year to the showboating LaMelo Ball, who, as a point guard for the Charlotte Hornets, has a better all-round game.
Edwards, a shooting guard, has continued to improve, especially his 3-point shooting, an area in which he struggled with in his rookie year.
Big night for @theantedwards_
🐜 33 Pts
🐜 14 Reb
🐜 6 Ast
🐜 W https://t.co/0nwUjkm7OA
If the Timberwolves can make a playoff run this season and begin to turn around the franchise, Anthony Edwards will play a huge role. Minnesota hasn't made the playoffs in the past four seasons and just once in the past 18 seasons, all since the Timberwolves were frequent participants during the glory days of Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett.
The 20-year-old has taken some of the scoring load off KAT. So far, he is averaging 22.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks while shooting 36% from beyond the arc (an improvement from 32.9 last season).