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If you haven't taken note of the season Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Anthony Edwards has had, now would be a good time to start after he dropped 42 points on Thursday in an upset win over the Phoenix Suns. Sure, the Timberwolves have been awful, but when you push aside all the garbage that has accumulated this season, you find the gem that is Edwards. While Edwards may be sick of the comparisons, here is one big reason why he is more valuable than LaMelo Ball.
Let's preface with this: you can't go wrong with either. Both have been sensational in their rookie seasons for their respective teams. But there's a hidden truth that props up Edwards in the comparison between the two.
Anthony Edwards' takeover ability
Anthony Edwards has already shown, at age 19, that he has that ability to absolutely take over a game and carry a team on his back. There have been a few occasions of it this year for the man they call “Ant-Man.”
And when I say takeover ability, I'm merely referring to those nights where anybody watching, anybody on the floor, anybody in the arena notices, “Well, damn, Ant just isn't going to be stopped tonight.” It's a rare trait that guys like Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Luka Doncic and some others posses. It's those games where it doesn't matter how slow things are going for the rest of your team, you're going to will your team on that given night.
Edwards has shown the ability to do that already. While LaMelo could become one of those guys, he might not have to given the roster situation in Charlotte compared to Minnesota.
Look at some of the starting lineups the Timberwolves have rolled out this season. It will make you cringe the hoops they have had to jump through due to injuries to guys like Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell and suspensions like Malik Beasley. It hasn't fazed the No. 1 overall pick.
Thursday was a perfect example.
Outside of Towns and Edwards, the rest of the starting five for the Timberwolves combined for a grand total of eight points. Yes, eight points.
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Yet time and again it became apparent that Anthony Edwards was going to do everything physically possible to make sure, along with Towns, that Minnesota won that game. He finished with 42 points on 15-of-31 shooting along with seven rebounds.
We quite literally saw it a few games prior against the Blazers as well. Edwards notched 34 that night on 12-of-24 from the field and 6-of-14 from downtown. The next highest-scoring Minnesota player had 15. On a night where others struggled to get it going, Edwards refused to be denied and the Wolves won by two.
Now, LaMelo has been phenomenal. He has the highlight-reel passes, he's a great floor general already, and he may be the leader in the clubhouse for Rookie of the Year. He has all the makings of a future star in the NBA for a long time.
But rare is it to find a guy who has that true takeover ability. There are nights where these guys are on the court and they realize early, “Alright, doesn't matter what we do, they aren't going to be stopped.”
Anthony Edwards isn't in that tier yet, but he has shown the ability to flip games on his own like the top superstars all have, and it's a trait and an ability that can't be taught. You either have it or you don't.
Ant-Man does.
