Jason Kidd impressed with Anthony Edwards before of the Conference Finals matchup.
Originally uploaded at Fadeaway World.
The Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves will face off in the 2024 Western Conference Finals. Both clubs are led by rising studs, Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd is quite impressed with Edwards’ accomplishments this season, praising his on-court ability as well as his leadership style.
“When you look at Ant, just consider his ability to command leadership at the age of 22. That’s something remarkable. His talent and smile are contagious. He appears to possess all the necessary qualities. He’s a star in this league. Again, his teammates trust him, as they should. He’s one of the world’s top players. He is built to be a leader in this league, and he’s demonstrating that in the playoffs.”
Edwards is averaging 28.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in the 2024 playoffs, demonstrating to the world that he is one of the NBA’s true superstars.
He has led this Wolves team on and off the court at the age of 22, an extraordinary accomplishment for a player whose love of basketball was questioned when he was picked first overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Mavericks will have their hands full trying to minimize Edwards’ productivity in this series, as the versatile swingman leads their attack. Dallas has the second-best defense in the playoffs, after Minnesota, so this will be a tough series for both teams.
Anthony Edwards is looking forward to matching up with Kyrie Irving.
Many consider Edwards vs. Doncic to be the series’ defining matchup, yet the two are unlikely to face up during this series. Edwards is already preparing for the guy he believes will be his primary assignment: Kyrie Irving.
“It’ll be fun, man. My opponent is going to be Kyrie, which will be exciting. “We’ll see what I can do against him.”
Edwards must expend his energy attempting to guard Luka, as the bruising 6’8″ guard could wear Ant down over the course of the series, reducing his offensive output. Jaden McDaniels has been Doncic’s primary cover every time these teams have met, and Doncic struggled against McDaniels until he averaged 36.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 10.5 assists in two games with Jaden as his major matchup.
The regular season meetings between these teams are meaningless because the Mavericks were only healthy for one of the four games they played. This season, the Mavs’ top five minutes leaders versus the Wolves are either rotational players receiving DNPs, such as Dwight Powell, or players who were traded away, such as Grant Williams.
Edwards has struggled individually versus Dallas, averaging 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in four games. But the regular season is irrelevant in the playoffs, as Edwards has demonstrated his ability to deliver consistently on the greatest stage.
The Wolves will be favored in the series after defeating the defending champs and having the better seed, but the Mavericks will be eager to extend their run of upsets and reach the NBA Finals.
