After the Wolves pulled off that sweep, the terror of Anthony Edwards is indeed very real. The Inside Guys issued a warning to the defending champs and reigning MVP to not take him lightly. One of the prophets who’s certain that Ant is going to turn the playoffs upside down is Shaquille O’Neal. He’s not afraid to predict something bold and out there. But what he’s saying now may not be so farfetched.

If the Denver Nuggets eliminate the Lakers, they will meet the Wolves in the next round. It would be a clash of the Titans between Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards. But watching Ant today, Shaq said, “The way they play, the way they have it together, they [Minnesota] have a shot.”

The former Lakers pro was rooting for the Lakers (the way Chuck was subtly rooting for the Suns) who got a bare minimum redemption with one win. They’re a game away from an elimination if they can pull another miracle in Game 5. But Shaq and even Charles Barkley are already resigned to Denver winning. For the first time, Shaq and the Inside Guys are projecting someone as a contender to challenge The Joker.

Anthony Edwards scored 31 of his total 40 points in the second half. Phoenix couldn’t keep in the later part of the game when even Devin Booker’s 49-point show could tide them. For the first time in 20 years, Minnesota is advancing in the playoffs, credited to the 22-year-old “dog,” as Shaq called him earlier this month. On The Big Podcast, he named Ant as the player he’d team up with if he had the chance because of his leadership qualities. His co-hosts see his point too.

Shaq loves Antman’s disrespectful play

Barkley called Jokic the “best basketball player in the world.” But he also believes if someone can beat him, it’s Edwards. He too predicts they’ll play the Nuggets in the next round before that first-round series has ended. And he warned them to not take the Wolves lightly because “Ant’s ready.”

Shaq is hyped for Ant’s no-holds-barred style too. He was playing against his childhood hero, Kevin Durant, in this series but didn’t contain himself. Before Game 4, O’Neal praised Ant’s mentality. Tonight, O’Neal summarized it as “I love the way Ant showed respect by showing none.” He’s someone who repeatedly tells young athletes to not play nice and he believes Ant listens.

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But first, we have to wait and see how the Denver-Lakers series concludes. Then Jokic can prepare for a standoff with Ant.