The Minnesota Timberwolves got a tough draw in the first round of the playoffs. They’ll face the Los Angeles Lakers, a team that many consider to be a championship contender.
After leading the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals last season, Anthony Edwards looked like he could be the next face of the league. He has had his best season as a pro, but didn’t take the leap that many expected of him.
If he wants to be the face of the NBA, beating LeBron James in the playoffs would certainly help make that happen. James has been the face of the league for over a decade, but he’s in his 40s now.
Edwards is known for being a prolific trash talker, but he’s not going to disrespect James ahead of their playoff matchup. He paid James the ultimate compliment.
“It means a lot to matchup against him, man,” Edwards told reporters, via The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. “Probably goes down as the greatest player to ever play basketball. Trying to get putting him out of the playoffs under my belt is going to be a tough one, but it’s going to be a fun road.”
Edwards Excited to Face Lakers
As one of the NBA’s biggest brands, the Lakers always get added attention when they play. Not many expect the Timberwolves to truly challenge Los Angeles, but that’s how Edwards likes it.
He wants to be the underdog in this series.
“I just love it,” Edwards said of facing the Lakers. “It’s dope. I love the fact that everybody wants the Lakers to win. That’s how it’s supposed to be. They don’t want the Timberwolves to win. I get it.”
The Timberwolves were massive underdogs in their playoff matchup against the Denver Nuggets last season, and they were able to pull off the upset. Anything is possible against the Lakers.
JJ Redick Reveals One of Biggest Keys to Series
The Timberwolves have some young and athletic pieces on their roster who can cause headaches defensively. They are very good at forcing turnovers.
One way that they can turn the tide on the Lakers is by forcing them to play sloppy basketball. Head coach JJ Redick knows that turnovers are what they need to avoid.
“It’s one of the biggest keys of the series,” Redick told reporters on Wednesday. “It’s just our ability to get a shot. Everybody talks about Nickell [Alexander-Walker] and [Jaden] McDaniels as these disruptive defenders, which they are. They’re two of the best in the NBA, but Ant on the ball, [Donte] DiVincenzo on the ball, DiVincenzo in dribble handoffs. Those guys are really disruptive and there’s things that we have to do that are non-negotiable for us to run good offense. I think beyond just, ‘Hey, this guy’s ballhawking me.’ There’s other parts of it that lead to turnovers that you just have to have really good awareness with.”
James and Luka Doncic aren’t immune to turnovers, but they are two of the smartest basketball players in the world. It’s going to be difficult to get them to play sloppily in the playoffs consistently.
