Anthony Edwards is on a meteoric rise to superstardom in his outstanding first NBA season, and the Minnesota Timberwolves guard continues to make a case for being the deserved recipient of Rookie of the Year honors.
The No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft had himself yet another impressive outing Monday night amid a rookie campaign littered with them. While the T-Wolves came up short, losing to the Memphis Grizzlies by a score of 139-135, Edwards played out of his mind.
Scoring 42 points on a 17-of-22 shooting night — including hitting on eight of nine three-pointers — Edwards had a career-high seven assists as well as six rebounds. By putting up such a phenomenal stat line, Edwards became the first 19-year-old in NBA history to score 40-plus points and hit five-plus threes in a game, eclipsing esteemed players like Kevin Durant and LeBron James.
Edwards also made some Timberwolves franchise history with Wednesday’s incredible outing.
The budding superstar was understated at best following Wednesday’s loss.
“I just want to go out and win and have fun and play basketball,” Edwards said, per the Star Tribune.
Edwards’ latest milestone is merely the latest instance of the rookie making NBA history, as he did so during a torrid three-game stretch in March. He also has played so well that one of the league’s biggest superstars took notice earlier this season.
Edwards has taken advantage of phenomenal Charlotte Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball missing 21 games with a fractured wrist to establish himself as a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate. Ball was firmly established as the front-runner for Rookie of the Year honors before the injury, and it remains to be seen whether the Hornets star reclaims such status now that he's returned to the court.
Either way, Edwards is well poised to give Ball a run for his money, and may even take home the hardware at season’s end.
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