Ex-NBA Player Drops Fiery Challenge for Anthony Edwards

In a clash between two of the leagues’ best guards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards, the series might come down to which star performs at a higher level. And for former NBA player Chandler Parsons, Edwards is the one who really needs to step up.

“Anthony Edwards struggled during the regular season against this team. He was inefficient, their length bothered him. I think he averaged 22 (points), nine (rebounds), and six (assists), which by the way sounds not that bad, but for him (it is),” Parsons said.

Edwards is a fierce two-way player, who just got through the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers in five games. If they’re going to be successful, Edwards is going to have to turn it up.

“If Anthony Edwards averages 22, nine, and six in this series, they will get smacked,” Parsons said. He’s gotta be elite, he has to be better than he was in the regular season. 22, nine, and six, when SGA is averaging 35, seven, and seven, that is a big time difference.”

Meanwhile, the Thunder are coming off a grueling seven-game series against the Denver Nuggets, which certainly tested the young squad. They won 68 games this season, making them just the seventh team to reach that status.

The 2025 MVP hasn’t been announced yet, but most assume the trophy will go to either Gilgeous-Alexander or Nikola Jokic. According to Parsons, this is Edwards’ time to make a statement, not necessarily for the award this year, but to show he belongs at the top.

“All this talk about the MVP, if it’s him (SGA) or Jokic, Anthony Edwards isn’t even in that conversation,” Parsons added. “If I’m him, I have something to prove right now that I should be in those talks… He should be wanting to be talked in that same breath and he should be in the conversation and he’s not so, he has a lot to prove as kind of the underdog in this series.”