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Anthony Edwards, Widely Known as the “Next Michael Jordan”, Destroyed Team’s Latest All-Star Trade in Resurfaced Video: “Bruh! He’s the Same as Anybody Else”

Published 07/02/2022, 7:30 AM EDT

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The NBA free agency is in full swing with significant player movements already taking place. The Utah Jazz traded their All-Star center, Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In return, the Jazz received 4 players along with multiple future first-round picks. The Wolves now have their defensive anchor alongside their two superstars, Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards.

Edwards, widely regarded as the “next Michael Jordan” due to their similar play style, once spoke about how his new teammate doesn’t put fear in him. He said, “I don’t get why we couldn’t finish on Rudy Gobert. He don’t put no fear in my heart. I don’t know why”. This happened only seven months back, in December 2021.

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While Rudy Gobert is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, many players have spoken against him and how he isn’t as good as people assume. The Utah Jazz will be reasonably happy with the trade as they got a massive haul in return for the 7’1″ center.

 

The Minnesota Timberwolves needed a defensive presence in the paint. While Karl-Anthony Towns is excellent on the other end of the floor, he can be a liability defensively sometimes. That proved to be costly in the playoffs as they were knocked out in the first round.

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Meanwhile, Anthony Edwards will be playing his third season in the league next year. He has already made a name for himself with his crazy vertical and a skill set similar to that of the great Michael Jordan. If he can become half as good as MJ, he will likely finish with a very distinguished career.

Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert had their best seasons to date

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Anthony Edwards had a great rookie season as he finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting. He made the All-Rookie First team. His stats in all major categories improved in his second year in the league as the Wolves qualified for the playoffs after four years. This was only their second playoff appearance since the 2004-05 season.

USA Today via Reuters

Gobert, on the other hand, had his best offensive season to date. He averaged 15.6 points to go along with league-high 14.7 rebounds. He also lead the league in FG% with 71.3 %. The Jazz made the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season but was knocked out in the first round by the Dallas Mavericks.

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WATCH THIS STORY: Rudy Gobert’s height compared with legend Shaquille O’Neal 

While the trade will have massive ramifications for both franchises, they will be hoping it leads to more consistent success. It will be interesting to see Edwards and Gobert team up after all that has been said. What are your thoughts on Edwards’ comments about Gobert? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Pragya Vashisth

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Pragya is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Having completed Masters in Sports Management from the International Institute of Sports Management, Mumbai, he has been a passionate fan of the NBA since 2010. Pragya is a massive supporter of LeBron James and just wants to enjoy the twilight years of his Hall of Fame career.
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Edited by:

Veer Badani