Right before the season started, and even through the first half of it, no one in the hobby would've thought that the Minnesota Timberwolves would make it to the playoffs. But after grinding it out, the team has found itself in the seventh seed facing the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round. And while the odds seem great, Anthony Edwards went against them and performed like he truly belonged in the postseason.
We take a deep dive below at Edwards' last stretch before the playoffs, his monster debut against the Ja Morant-led squad, and how these performances have propelled his rookie card value in the market.
Anthony Edwards' insane playoff debut against the Grizzlies
It can't be denied that ever since both Edwards and LaMelo Ball entered the NBA, the spotlight shone brighter on the Charlotte Hornets' All-Star. The same can be said too about Ball's rookie cards being more valuable than those of the Timberwolves' young star. But after these recent weeks, it seems that Edwards is the more promising prospect, both on the court and in the card market.
Right after the All-Star break, Edwards has been quietly building his case as one of the league's most exciting players. During that stretch of 18 games, the Timberwolves' starting guard has notched 20.5 points by hitting 47% of his field goals, 38% from beyond the perimeter, and 85% from the foul line. At the same time, he's also working well on other aspects of his game by making 4.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.4 steals during Minnesota's final stretch of the regular season.
During that time, Edwards' potential to become an elite scorer was on full display when Minnesota faced off against the reigning champions, the Milwaukee Bucks. In that game, the young guard went ballistic by scoring 25 points by efficiently hitting 56% from the field and 50% from deep. He also added 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals to showcase how his game is improving in just year two.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg for Edwards. His last two games, a play-in tournament match against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Wolves' first found game against Memphis, saw the young star step up in a way no one expected.
When Minnesota faced the Clippers, Edwards went off and posted 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists in 37 minutes. This effort helped the Timberwolves clinch the seventh seed, making their way back to the postseason after being away from it for several years. And while his performance against Los Angeles was noteworthy, his first playoff game was even better.
In 40 minutes on the court, Edwards went 12-of-23 from the field and connected 36% of his shots from deep to notch 36 points. He also added 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a single steal during that time. His performance on both ends of the court helped stun the Grizzlies and snatch home court advantage away from them.
Edwards' incredible athleticism, offensive ability, and fearless disposition allowed him to make a big splash during his first playoff experience. It also helped his rookie cards, which have been quiet all this time, to break out and garner more attention in the market.
The state of Anthony Edwards rookie cards
Edward's stock in the card market hasn't been as hot as Luka Doncic or Ja Morant rookie cards. But the recent numbers have shown that his value is steadily rising during the past few weeks.
In a three-month graph by Card Ladder, Edwards' PSA 10 Prizm Silver rookie card has gone up by 23% from $937 earlier this year. The key detail to keep in mind here is how this card's price jumped up from $900 to $1,154 right after the Timberwolves snatched Game 1 from Memphis.
This increase has pushed the value of Edwards' most popular rookie card way above the $1,000-mark. All in all, his recent performances during the play-in tournament and Game 1 itself are the catalysts for this price spike.
The verdict on Anthony Edwards rookie cards
Even with Minnesota getting that first win, the odds are still against them winning the series. While that may be the case, this can be the ideal time to cash in on those Anthony Edwards rookie cards while he's performing well on the court. Doing so will help those collectors who invested in the young star make some profit.
On the other hand, now would not be the best time to buy those Anthony Edwards rookie cards since they're priced higher than usual. Interested collectors should wait for the Timberwolves to be eliminated or the offseason when the overall market momentarily goes down.
In any case, there's no doubt that Anthony Edwards is, indeed, a good player to invest in. After playing well and helping the Timberwolves return to the playoffs, his stock is among the select few that can become a whole lot better in the years to come.
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