Anthony Edwards is having a breakout season, and the Minnesota Timberwolves are reaping the rewards. Having tasted the top berth already, they are currently 3rd on the Western chart, separated 1 game from the throne. However, as talented as their roster may have been this season, uncertain clouds hover on their playoff run; mostly due to lack of experience. In the last 5 years, the Wolves team has made it to the postseason twice; ending their season in the first round.

However, Sam Mitchell, ’07 NBA Coach of the Year (Toronto Raptors), claims that the young crew can make a deep run this year. Sam believes that “everybody fits their role” in the Wolves roster, bolstered by Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Mitchell’s confidence majorly erupts from Anthony Edwards’ dominating mindset. Having played against Michael Jordan and witnessed Kobe Bryant’s 81 points first-hand, Mitchell claims, “He’s [Anthony Edwards] the closet thing I’ve seen mentally and physically to Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He has that same mentality.”

To back his claims on Edwards’ mindset, he highlights the notable run the 22-year old is having in absence of Towns. As the big-man tends to his meniscus injury, Edwards, through 7 games, has posted four 30-point hauls alongside a 44 outing in Indiana. With that, Sam also highlights the recent game against the Clippers. With a 18 point deficit at the half, Edwards helped flip the potential loss to a 18 point victory on the road.

Currently, the Denver Nuggets remain as the top contenders in the West, with their last-season’s championship and similar team chemistry. However, Sam argues that the Wolves, with their newfound surge, could propel past them this campaign. In retrospection of the previous playoffs, he reminisced the Wolves to put on the strongest competition on Denver’s championship journey.

Anthony Edwards’ playoff stint against Denver (’22-’23)

The Wolves entered the 2022-2023 playoffs holding the 8th seed, posed against the Denver Nuggets. With a home court advantage and the partnership between Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets defeated them 4-1. As Wolves presented a tough display, Anthony Edwards steered them.

After getting the feel of Denver’s defense through 18 points in the first game blowout, Edwards posted a 41 point outing while shooting 60.9% from the field. He continued with back to back 30+ point games, giving Wolves their first victory.

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As Denver closed the series in game 5, Edwards posted an average of 31.6 points, 5.2 assists and 5 rebounds. However, while Rudy Gobert elevated his game during the intense series, Towns’ talents failed to materialize. Coming off 20.8 points on the season, Towns posted just 18.2 points against Denver to 4-1 loss. Thus living through the deafeat, the Wolves will look to live by Sam Mitchel’s hopes with Edwards as a hefty obstruction.