Anthony Edwards Should Be Mic’d Up for Every Game

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Anthony Edwards, NBA Playoffs - Minnesota Timberwolves at Dallas Mavericks
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY SportsCredit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Timberwolves were facing elimination on Tuesday night, against the Dallas Mavericks, and Anthony Edwards was in the spotlight. After a lackluster few games to open the series, it was going to take a significant performance from the Wolves’ best player to extend the West Finals.

And Ant showed up. He hit big shots and got help from Karl-Anthony Towns, among other teammates, when he needed them to come through. It was the exact type of game Minnesota needed to climb back into this thing. And he wore a wire the entire game.

Anthony Edwards has been nothing short of appointment television since the moment he entered the NBA. The first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Edwards was back to being his regular, aggressive self in game 4, when his team needed him most.

TNT mic’d up Anthony Edwards for game 4

Even during warmups, the 22-year-old superstar was dialed in. The way in which Edwards talked with bench player Luka Garza said everything. “They better get rid of us, Lu!”

For someone so young and inexperienced to be this loose and focused facing an elimination game during the Western Conference Finals… you just don’t see that everyday.

Immediately following the win, TNT played a highlight clip of Ant’s mic’d up moments and it’s pretty unbelievable how he displays that same level of cool throughout an intense, pressurized atmosphere like last night.

Ant checks in on the health of Mavs’ big man Maxi Kleiber (“your shoulder alright?”), flips in a finger roll that didn’t count and credits Kyrie for teaching it to him (“I learned that from you, dawg”). But it’s the leadership he shows throughout this 1:40 clip that reveals the competitive side of Anthony Edwards too.

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He’s demanding more effort from guys, “if they win this game, it’s 4-0, they not gonna feel sorry for us, they gonna laugh at us, bruh!”. Then, there’s the part where he is showing Rudy Gobert exactly how he wants him to set screens, “you setting it like this, Rudy. So they can go under, they can go over… set it like this, so he gots to go over the screen!”

When big moments happen, he was screaming into a Dallas arena filled with Mavericks fans. He was even barking at dudes. Anthony Edwards is simply not normal, and his ability to lead goes well beyond his years. Don’t take it for granted.

Anthony Edwards continues to lean on Karl-Anthony Towns

It isn’t lost on Anthony Edwards that this team was once under the reign of Karl-Anthony Towns. It has since changed ownership, but there is little benefit to make KAT feel as though he’s diminished. Continuing to be a leader, Edwards has sought to bring the best out of his big man.

After previously suggesting that Towns needs to stop fouling, Edwards got in a bit of a laugh on Tuesday night with the Big Purr finishing on the bench. Although Towns was able to pour in buckets at an impressive rate down the stretch, Luka Doncic got him on a bad call finishing his night.

The more Towns can remain on the floor, and especially in a productive state, the better Minnesota’s chances are at extending the series. Ultimately Finch needs his top two stars to play off of one another. Edwards must fill it up while Towns pours it in from all over the court.

Related: TNT Crew Calls Cap on Karl-Anthony Towns’ Hyperbole Amid Absolutely Brutal Series

Regardless of the theatrics Luka Doncic pulls, and the perspective Kyrie Irving has, the Timberwolves clawing back relies entirely on Towns and Edwards holding their own. If it can happen for a game at home in the Target Center, then Dallas is immediately put on notice and things get interesting.

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