The Minnesota Timberwolves used the 2020 NBA draft No. 1 overall pick on a young, supremely athletic 19-year-old from Georgia. That specimen is none other than Anthony Edwards, the rising star who just led the Twin Cities franchise to a seventh seed and a playoff berth.
“AntMan,” as he’s affectionately known, has a huge fan in Warriors star Andre Iguodala who believe Edwards is already more talented than future Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade.
On a recent episode of his “Point Forward” podcast with former NBA player Evan Turner, Iggy detailed his reasoning for the strong comments.
“When I saw this guy he went in and out, he turned the corner so fast, I said, ‘Oh my god.’ It took like a half-second for me. I think he has more talent than Dwyane Wade.”
“He has more talent than Dwyane Wade. Now will he fulfill his talent? That remains to be seen. … Anthony Edwards, yeah, man, he got it, man.”
That’s high praise from Iguodala, who’s recognized as one of the best defenders of his generation and a standout two-way player throughout his career.
Does Dwyane Wade Share Those Same Sentiments?
Edwards has long been compared to the dynamic two-way Wade. In February 2021, Edwards even tweeted that he watches a lot of DWade film and studies how the three-time NBA champion runs the pick and roll.
“He’s one of the greatest shooting guards to ever play so if I can mimic him…,” Edwards said.
A few days later, Wade even retweeted Ant’s statement, thanked him and gave his thoughts on it.
“It’s an honor to be looked up too by the next generation of athletes. We all have had “that” guy that made us want to mimic them and we all dream of one day becoming better than “that” guy. I would love to see Ant-Man set a bar higher than I have!”
During a 2021 TNT broadcast Wade gave Edwards major props.
“I definitely think he can be a better player than I was, he has all the tools,” Wade said. “You set the bar so people can jump over that bar and I think he has the talent to be able to jump over the bar that I set. I hope he does it. I hope he becomes a way better player than I was.”
Big words coming from Wade, who’s widely considered the third-best shooting guard ever behind Michael Jordan and the late Kobe Bryant.
Edwards Showed Up In Year Two
While, Edwards was solid as a rookie, averaging 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds. 3.0 assists, he didn’t win Rookie of the Year. That honor, although questionable to some, went to Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball.
But in year two, Edwards raised his play and his team’s play. His points per game jumped to 21.3, and his shooting percentage increased from 41 to 45. He even averaged a full assist more per game. If the league kept stats on hockey assists, Edwards would’ve been in the top five in the league.
The T-Wolves feasted on teams sending double teams to Edwards, who showed some real growth in recognizing when to move the basketball, creating open shots for teammates. His play was huge in the playoff run the team had, culminating in a tough six-game series loss. One in which the Wolves had double-digit leads in five of the six games. As Edwards matures, so will the T-Wolves.
𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃.
#WolvesBack pic.twitter.com/9zZk2lG5tg— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 13, 2022
No question Ant-Man is talented and has what it takes to be better than Wade but let him mature a bit more and win a lot more before we begin those comparisons. because Dwyane Wade is an all-time great, and that isn’t easily matched.
