Is Anthony Edwards “next” or is that space already occupied by Luka and SGA?

[Kblaze8855]

I was listening to a podcast talking about how if he can properly navigate the off the court stuff that can derail you he’s next in the lineage of great NBA players. They meant as far as Jordan to Kobe to LeBron, but I’m speaking more generally.

He’s only 22 but SGA and Luka are both 24-25ish I believe. There’s enough overlap to directly compare all three right?

And if so, he has not separated.

Is there anything we can reasonably expect from him that would create that separation? They’re all on such a high-level I’m not sure how we even choose who is next.

Luka feels like both now and next somehow.

[Xiao Yao You]

ISH still has Mitchell and others ahead of Edwards so probably not the place to be asking. Luka doesn't play D and needs to get his team in the playoffs

[FultzNationRISE]

Doncic already played multiple playoff series and thrived. Hes ben considered an MVP candidate the last 2-3 years. He’s clearly “here.”

SGA has kinda formally arrived this year, even tho people could see last year he was becoming elite, and presuming he keeps this up in the playoffs. Edwards is too I guess but the Wolves arent on TV as much so I dont think he’s gonna get mentioned as often until he can take advantage of TV exposure in the playoffs.

It basically just comes down to perception, which goes hand in hand with exposure.

[Wardell Curry]

They meant as far as Jordan to Kobe to LeBron

Wembanyama or there isn't one.

ANT, Luka and SGA? Lol. They aren't good enough nor will they ever be.

You gotta have that wow factor also, which none of them have. Steph was next after LeBron but they overlapped like not seen since Bird/Magic and maybe Russell/Chamberlain in all of league history.

It's funny how these things work... while Jordan is maybe the best ever, he gets a boost in this regard because there was nobody else in his era. There were a couple of all timers in his era, but there was no 'transcends the sport' superstar. You could make a serious argument that the second best player in the era was on his team, and even if you ignore Pip, Hakeem and Jordan missed each other two times in a row, very conveniently for Jordan considering Hakeem basically owned him and the Bulls.

Anyone thinks Jordan goes 6-0 if he's got Russell, Steph, LeBron, Magic or Bird in his era where the peaks are overlapping? No way.

[Xiao Yao You]

Wembanyama or there isn't one.

ANT, Luka and SGA? Lol. They aren't good enough nor will they ever be.

You gotta have that wow factor also, which none of them have. Steph was next after LeBron but they overlapped like not seen since Bird/Magic and maybe Russell/Chamberlain in all of league history.

It's funny how these things work... while Jordan is maybe the best ever, he gets a boost in this regard because there was nobody else in his era. There were a couple of all timers in his era, but there was no 'transcends the sport' superstar. You could make a serious argument that the second best player in the era was on his team, and even if you ignore Pip, Hakeem and Jordan missed each other two times in a row, very conveniently for Jordan considering Hakeem basically owned him and the Bulls.

Anyone thinks Jordan goes 6-0 if he's got Russell, Steph, LeBron, Magic or Bird in his era where the peaks are overlapping? No way.

only a couple all time greats in Jordan's era? :lol

[Kblaze8855]

Not good enough and never will be? All three of them?

I feel like what’s happening might involve two of my long-term arguments on here. And they might be in conflict. On one hand, I’ve always believed we are too slow to acknowledge greatness because when you look back in retrospect, the people we wait to call great get compared to the prime versions of other people. I said on here in like 2003 that in 20 years if we asked 2003 Kobe versus whoever it’s going to be seen as a reasonable question. It only wasn’t then because he had not established his legacy as an individual team leader. He didn’t get better in 2003 because we now think higher of him all time. We are just more willing to acknowledge what he was in that 2001 to 2003 range. So looking at it that way I’d almost feel comfortable comparing those guys now to a lot of legends. Like….

If you put 02 Kobe and 2023 Luka on one court…. I feel like whatever happens wouldn’t leave you with the impression one was an all timer and the other was just tiers below hopelessly outmatched. There probably isn’t the difference on the floor there is in “feelings”.

But that bumps up against another observation….

With a massive change in how the game is played, I can’t be sure how much dominance I can attribute to individual skill and how much I have to acknowledge is based on the situation these guys play in. Compared to each other it’s irrelevant. But compared to people 20 years ago?

That’s when it gets to be hard.

For now, I’ll just say I wasn’t really comparing them to that lineage level wise more like what they represent to their era.

Luka may never be Jordan and Kobe. But I can’t say it’s impossible he ends up having a generation feel that way about him.

[Wardell Curry]

only a couple all time greats in Jordan's era? :lol

I'd have to look it up but if we're talking about Jordan's Bulls years I'm pretty sure that Hakeem is the only player from that entire era that Jordan had a losing record against. And for the purposes of this convo I'm talking about players that are flirting with the top 10.

[FultzNationRISE]

Not good enough and never will be? All three of them?

I feel like what’s happening might involve two of my long-term arguments on here. And they might be in conflict. On one hand, I’ve always believed we are too slow to acknowledge greatness because when you look back in retrospect, the people we wait to call great get compared to the prime versions of other people. I said on here in like 2003 that in 20 years if we asked 2003 Kobe versus whoever it’s going to be seen as a reasonable question. It only wasn’t then because he had not established his legacy as an individual team leader. He didn’t get better in 2003 because we now think higher of him all time. We are just more willing to acknowledge what he was in that 2001 to 2003 range. So looking at it that way I’d almost feel comfortable comparing those guys now to a lot of legends. Like….

If you put 02 Kobe and 2023 Luka on one court…. I feel like whatever happens wouldn’t leave you with the impression one was an all timer and the other was just tiers below hopelessly outmatched. There probably isn’t the difference on the floor there is in “feelings”.

But that bumps up against another observation….

With a massive change in how the game is played, I can’t be sure how much dominance I can attribute to individual skill and how much I have to acknowledge is based on the situation these guys play in. Compared to each other it’s irrelevant. But compared to people 20 years ago?

That’s when it gets to be hard.

For now, I’ll just say I wasn’t really comparing them to that lineage level wise more like what they represent to their era.

Luka may never be Jordan and Kobe. But I can’t say it’s impossible he ends up having a generation feel that way about him.


Most people are not gonna factor any of this into a decision to ultimately compare a player with MJ or Kobe.

Theyre gonna say “well did he win a the chips or he didnt winning the chips.”

Like, broad public perception will boil down entirely to that. Their games will have nothing to do with it.

If Luka plays a string of postseasons over the next six years where every team he faces is decimated by injuries and illness to their top 5 players and literally everything he faces is a benchwarmer lineup and he wins six chips? Hes top 3 because he won’d the titles.

If he smashes performance records and plays out of his mind but his whole team is injured every year and hes competing alongside g-league replacements without success, “hes not even good because they didnt winning a the chips.”

Legacy and public perception dont even really matter because it’s defined by the collective groupthink of “the broad swath.” Which is meaningless.

[Xiao Yao You]

I'd have to look it up but if we're talking about Jordan's Bulls years I'm pretty sure that Hakeem is the only player from that entire era that Jordan had a losing record against. And for the purposes of this convo I'm talking about players that are flirting with the top 10.

top 10 and all time greats are different to me

[Wardell Curry]

Luka may never be Jordan and Kobe. But I can’t say it’s impossible he ends up having a generation feel that way about him.

Thing is, casuals will never know any of those guys. If you go up to some rando on the street that doesn't know the NBA, you think they know those names? Of course not. But they will know Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, Steph, etc.

[FultzNationRISE]

I mean if Kobe plays for Charlotte and TMac plays for LAL, is Kobe still the one getting compared to MJ and Bron as “that guy” from their era?

Very unlikely. These kinds of distinctions are made very superficially.

[tontoz]

SGA and Luka are elite players right now. Either one could win MVP this year and it wouldn't surprise me.

Ant isn't there yet but he certainly seems like he could get there soon. It's not a sure thing though. His shooting from 3 feet out to the 3 pt line suffers in comparison.

Luka shoots 20% better than Ant from 3-10 feet. SGA is one of the few guys in the league that shoots over 50% from 3-10, 10-16 and 16-3pt. That plus his ability to get to the rim and finish makes him really tough to guard.

[Xiao Yao You]

I mean if Kobe plays for Charlotte and TMac plays for LAL, is Kobe still the one getting compared to MJ and Bron as “that guy” from their era?

Very unlikely. These kinds of distinctions are made very superficially.

McGrady playing for the Lakers and not winning wouldn't have helped him

[Xiao Yao You]

SGA and Luka are elite players right now. Either one could win MVP this year and it wouldn't surprise me.

Ant isn't there yet but he certainly seems like he could get there soon. It's not a sure thing though. His shooting from 3 feet out to the 3 pt line suffers in comparison.

Luka shoots 20% better than Ant from 3-10 feet. SGA is one of the few guys in the league that shoots over 50% from 3-10, 10-16 and 16-3pt. That plus his ability to get to the rim and finish makes him really tough to guard.

Ant plays elite D as well which most people don't care about but it will increase the chances of winning

[tontoz]

Ant plays elite D as well which most people don't care about but it will increase the chances of winning



Yes ant is a good defender but so is SGA. The only weakness for SGA, relative to the other two, is that he isn't a big 3 pt threat. Not sure how much that matters though since he is surrounded by guys who can make 3s.

[ArbitraryWater]

SGA and Ant are on the same trajectory.


Theyre not at Doncic level in any way yet though.

[tontoz]

SGA and Ant are on the same trajectory.


Theyre not at Doncic level in any way yet though.


Shai was 1st team All NBA last year and finished 5th in the MVP voting. Shai is averaging 31 ppg with a 64% TS and is leading the league in steals. He also leads the league in offensive win shares. That is a pretty rare combination.

At this point I would say his chance at winning MVP this year is at least equal to Luka's.

[highwhey]

SGA and Ant are on the same trajectory.


Theyre not at Doncic level in any way yet though.

and luka isn't on their level defensively in any way.

[warriorfan]

Doncic already played multiple playoff series and thrived. Hes ben considered an MVP candidate the last 2-3 years. He’s clearly “here.”

SGA has kinda formally arrived this year, even tho people could see last year he was becoming elite, and presuming he keeps this up in the playoffs. Edwards is too I guess but the Wolves arent on TV as much so I dont think he’s gonna get mentioned as often until he can take advantage of TV exposure in the playoffs.

It basically just comes down to perception, which goes hand in hand with exposure.

This.

There’s nothing saying all 3 of them can’t be “next”. Who knows we could be entering a new golden age of the NBA. only time will tell

But like the poster said Luka and SGA are already ahead of him in trajectory but Ant is coming.

[tpols]

I mean if Kobe plays for Charlotte and TMac plays for LAL, is Kobe still the one getting compared to MJ and Bron as “that guy” from their era?

Very unlikely. These kinds of distinctions are made very superficially.

Charlotte was actually pretty good around that time. They went 51-31 in 1998, 49-33 in 2000, 46-36 in 2001, and 44-38 in 2002.

Charlotte had multiple All Stars and real nice winning records right as Kobe was entering his prime. And they played in a weak ass East compared to the West.

Putting Kobe on 50 win teams out east in the early 2000s? They could've won something.

[iamgine]

ANT is not yet on the level of Luka and SGA.

Also, Wembanyama might be the next if he can stay healthy.

[tontoz]

On the OM3 podcast 198 their consensus was that Shai is currently 3rd in the MVP race behind Embiid and Jokic.

[StrongLurk]

Anthony Edwards is overrated if anyone thinks he's going to be top 5 in the NBA soon. He just isn't a generational talent like that.

Definitely a good all-star though.

[FultzNationRISE]

Anthony Edwards is overrated if anyone thinks he's going to be top 5 in the NBA soon. He just isn't a generational talent like that.

Definitely a good all-star though.


Yeah. The issue for him IMO is that players are getting bigger, and therefore playmakers are getting bigger to be able to pass over the defense. At his size its going to be hard to become an elite playmaker in today’s game IMO. He’s going to have to rely on quickness all the time which wont allow him to slow the game down as much when necessary, the way Lebron, Luka, Butler or whoever can start backing you down and still make a pass to anywhere on the court.

Still a very valuable player but I think his size is likely to keep him out of that top 5 range, unless he develops a Curry level jumper. Which obviously isnt gonna happen.

[BarberSchool]

Ant body of work and consistency in post season needs some more volume before he ascends to Shai level. And Shai needs a little more post season volume to get to Luka's level. Shai finna get that this year in OKC's surprising post-season run. Ant sadly won't yet, because of how his team built, and who many likely matchups are.

Minnesnowta best case this post-season, is embarrassing the lake show, in a gentleman's sweep, before getting nuked from orbit the following series, by a team with much better PNR/PNP/3ptFG.

[Kblaze8855]

More I Watch him the more he feels like next in that lineage personality wise. He takes things so personal. Every time Kevin Durant is near him it feels like it stops being a game and starts being him needing to show Durant and us who he is. It’s not always ideal but it’s how some of these competitive freaks are.

[ShawkFactory]

Charlotte was actually pretty good around that time. They went 51-31 in 1998, 49-33 in 2000, 46-36 in 2001, and 44-38 in 2002.

Charlotte had multiple All Stars and real nice winning records right as Kobe was entering his prime. And they played in a weak ass East compared to the West.

Putting Kobe on 50 win teams out east in the early 2000s? They could've won something.

Could have won something? I mean…a few playoff series maybe.

Perhaps the eastern conference in an off year.

[FultzNationRISE]

More I Watch him the more he feels like next in that lineage personality wise. He takes things so personal. Every time Kevin Durant is near him it feels like it stops being a game and starts being him needing to show Durant and us who he is. It’s not always ideal but it’s how some of these competitive freaks are.

Yeah Edwards has definitely “got that Lebron in him” as they say.

[tontoz]

More I Watch him the more he feels like next in that lineage personality wise. He takes things so personal. Every time Kevin Durant is near him it feels like it stops being a game and starts being him needing to show Durant and us who he is. It’s not always ideal but it’s how some of these competitive freaks are.

Ant is an interesting combination of dog and likability. From all accounts he is well liked by teammates and willing to be coached hard, but his competitiveness definitely comes through in games.

[tpols]

Luka is on another level.

[tpols]

Could have won something? I mean…a few playoff series maybe.

Perhaps the eastern conference in an off year.

The 1 man band Kidd and Iverson Sixers and Nets owned the eastern conference back then. Along with the Ewing-less 8 seed Knicks in 1999 and Reggie Pacers in 2000.

Every year back then was an "off year" in the East. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about on this subject.

Adding prime Kobe or any top 10-20 GOAT to those 50 win Charlotte teams are making the Finals and winning at least 1 ring. Kobe won more with less in the late 2000s.

[Wardell Curry]

Wembanyama barring injury. That's pretty clear at this point.

[ShawkFactory]

The 1 man band Kidd and Iverson Sixers and Nets owned the eastern conference back then. Along with the Ewing-less 8 seed Knicks in 1999 and Reggie Pacers in 2000.

Every year back then was an "off year" in the East. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about on this subject.

Adding prime Kobe or any top 10-20 GOAT to those 50 win Charlotte teams are making the Finals and winning at least 1 ring. Kobe won more with less in the late 2000s.
:lol That's good fun.

Anyway, the point of the original comment wasn't to drop Kobe exactly as he was on the Charlotte Hornets. Who knows how things turn out with him and his development if he's drafted into a different situation. And who knows what the landscape of the Hornets looks like. With Kobe on the Roster, are they still getting the 3rd pick in 99 and/or drafting Baron Davis? Highly doubt it.

But even still, if they did happen to make it out of the East (which is no guarantee), then they aren't beating any combination of the Kings or Spurs, and later Mavericks, at ALL. Those were far better teams and 20 y/o Kobe with a slightly above average team around him actually taking that on is a silly thought to have.

The "Kobe won more with less later on" thing is oh so rich coming from you. I could have sworn that a couple weeks ago (when talking about the state of the current West) that you made it a whole thing about how we have to take into account league differences/strength when arguing across years. Seems like that bit only mattered to you in the moment.

[tpols]

Kobe literally owned the Spurs back then and the Mavericks were not in prime form back then. The Kings would've been a problem but they were a problem for everybody.

It's just hilarious that you think adding one of the best players of all time to a 50 win team couldn't beat the Nets or Knicks or Sixers back then. "Maybe". :oldlol:

If you added Charles Barkley or David Robinson or Karl Malone to those 50 win Charlotte teams in that conference they'd probably win a ring or two. And they're not nearly as high on GOAT lists as Kobe.

You just dont understand how it was back then. But we can forgive you for you know not what you say or do my friend.

[ShawkFactory]

The Charlotte Hornets won 51 games in 1998. Kobe was 19.

Yes any good, seasoned and well-disciplined team would be just fine. The Spurs in particular would destroy them.

You still don't seem to be grasping that we aren't dropping prime Kobe on the Hornets. It's 18-year-old Kobe.

[FireDavidKahn]

Shai would be but that man don't got the personality.

Purely from a basketball talent point of view, he would be but that dude is boring.

I love players who legitimately play both ways. Want nothing but success for Shai (as long as it doesn't come at the expense of my Wolves :roll:)

[ArbitraryWater]

SGA and Ant are on the same trajectory.


Theyre not at Doncic level in any way yet though.


Well, as I said.

I would give myself credit but it was a fairly obvious take.

More surprised people disagreed. The same idiots though more or less.

[tontoz]

Well, as I said.

I would give myself credit but it was a fairly obvious take.

More surprised people disagreed. The same idiots though more or less.

SGA was first team all nba last year and this year, is a MVP finalist but somehow isnt on the same level as Doncic? Cool story bro.

[90sgoat]

Luka = Lebron with personality of Kobe
Shai = Iverson with personality of Tmac
Ant = Vince with personality of Westbrook
Wemby = KG with personality of Dirk
Tatum = Ray Allen who thinks he's Kobe

That's how I see the young crop.

Luka is going to take over the league after Jokic supposedly quits after a 3-peat to race horses.

Then you'll have Shai being his main competition. Not as good, but easier to build around, so every time Luka doesn't have a good team, Shai will be there to contend. Ant-man will be a local american fan favorite, but he'll probably be more known as the glorious loser, the spectacular player that lacked the finesse of the rest.

Wemby, we are still to see how you build a team around him, just like with KG, but for sure he'll win a ring or two on the right team, just don't know if he'll be a KG or a Hakeem, my bet is KG.

Tatum will get his most success once he accepts a PG13 role with another superstar.

[FultzNationRISE]

I appreciate Edwards’ grit, intensity on both ends, willingness to step up in big moments and all those things. And that does help offset those nights like yesterday where you go 3-12, and still found ways to make an impact.

But that said, you cant have those 3-12 nights too often if youre gonna be in the elite. And I feel like right now he’s still probably the most prone guy of the bunch to do that. Altho hes also one of the youngest still ofc.

The other thing is, and you can only play who’s in front of you so it’s not his fault, but I wanna see what hes gonna do against teams with a little more resistance than the Phoenix Buns. Yeah it’s nice to beat up on them but theyre a jump shooting team. They have no toughness or depth. Theyll lie down for you.

Next round I guess theyll get Denver, and Im not gonna blame him if they lose that one. It’s a shame cuz Id have liked to see him go up against OKC or Dallas, or even New Orleans next round. Phoenix is too easy and Denver’s too hard, so I dont think theyre great measuring sticks.

[tontoz]

I appreciate Edwards’ grit, intensity on both ends, willingness to step up in big moments and all those things. And that does help offset those nights like yesterday where you go 3-12, and still found ways to make an impact.

But that said, you cant have those 3-12 nights too often if youre gonna be in the elite. And I feel like right now he’s still probably the most prone guy of the bunch to do that. Altho hes also one of the youngest still ofc.

The other thing is, and you can only play who’s in front of you so it’s not his fault, but I wanna see what hes gonna do against teams with a little more resistance than the Phoenix Buns. Yeah it’s nice to beat up on them but theyre a jump shooting team. They have no toughness or depth. Theyll lie down for you.

Next round I guess theyll get Denver, and Im not gonna blame him if they lose that one. It’s a shame cuz Id have liked to see him go up against OKC or Dallas, or even New Orleans next round. Phoenix is too easy and Denver’s too hard, so I dont think theyre great measuring sticks.


Ant played a series against Denver last year and dropped 32/5/5 on them.

I didn't watch last nights game yet but i am assuming the Suns loaded up on Ant to force the other guys to beat them.

[FultzNationRISE]

Ant played a series against Denver last year and dropped 32/5/5 on them.

I didn't watch last nights game yet but i am assuming the Suns loaded up on Ant to force the other guys to beat them.


That line doesnt tell me how he played. Luka had a line like that in Game 1 the other day and he played like shit. Plus the Twolves were way overmatched by Denver last year. Maybe they were just letting Ant go crazy and knew that would be enough. I didnt really watch the series cuz it was clearly lopsided and didnt seem that interesting.

Wolves are a different team this year and I'd like to watch Edwards play against a team of a comparable caliber. Obviously if he plays great against Denver in a close series I'll give him a lot of credit. But I'm not sure it's gonna be the best barometer of where he is right now, just cuz Denver's a different kind of animal.

[tontoz]

That line doesnt tell me how he played. Luka had a line like that in Game 1 the other day and he played like shit. Plus the Twolves were way overmatched by Denver last year. Maybe they were just letting Ant go crazy and knew that would be enough. I didnt really watch the series cuz it was clearly lopsided and didnt seem that interesting.

Wolves are a different team this year and I'd like to watch Edwards play against a team of a comparable caliber. Obviously if he plays great against Denver in a close series I'll give him a lot of credit. But I'm not sure it's gonna be the best barometer of where he is right now, just cuz Denver's a different kind of animal.


Umm...no. The Wolves were missing Daniels and Reid making them that much easier for Denver to defend.

Ant's worst game was game one when they lost by 29 and he only scored 18. The next 4 games were close and they had nothing for Ant. Their only strategy was to bait him into shooting jumpers and hope he missed, which he did at times. In games 3 and 5 he was a combined 3-17 from 3 and they lost those two games by a combined 12 points.

When Ant decided to attack the rim Denver didn't have an answer. You should try telling Denver that they had an easy series because that would be news to them. They came out and said that Minny gave them trouble.

[Kblaze8855]

Ant is an interesting combination of dog and likability. From all accounts he is well liked by teammates and willing to be coached hard, but his competitiveness definitely comes through in games.

He’s the good kind of killer. The kind of killer who doesn’t actually want to see you dead just to make you acknowledge where you both stand. It might even be disrespectful like Jordan talking shit to George Gervin when he got to the league, and even after he came to the bulls. He was disrespecting a legend. And the words are a little personal. But you know what’s behind it is just competitiveness.

Like Lawrence Taylor. Played out of his ****ing mind aggressive but when he snapped Joe Theismann‘s leg, he was the first one yelling for help. It’s always “**** em….” but with a purpose. Let’s all go home in one piece. I just want to prove myself kinda “**** em” as opposed to a dirty Karl Malone disregard for the people around you “**** em”.

I can respect that. It’s the appropriate level of asshole long as your ability can back it up. I **** with him going forward.

[eurobum]

when kawhi’s gone, ant will be the only one left

blazy — you got a minute?

you seriously can’t pm on this site? cot dayumn

[Kblaze8855]

Ma sent me a Text. I figured you would be around here somewhere.

[FultzNationRISE]

ISH still has Mitchell and others ahead of Edwards so probably not the place to be asking. Luka doesn't play D and needs to get his team in the playoffs


He’s about to personally send Toody fishing for the second time in his young career.

[BarberSchool]

McGrady playing for the Lakers and not winning wouldn't have helped himhttps://i.gifer.com/Bz5b.gif

[warriorfan]

I still believe

He’s shown us enough that we can say that “he’s got it”

He will need a little bit more time to figure some stuff out and get a bit more consistent but as of now it’s looking a lot more probable that he is “that guy” rather than not

[FultzNationRISE]

I still believe

He’s shown us enough that we can say that “he’s got it”

He will need a little bit more time to figure some stuff out and get a bit more consistent but as of now it’s looking a lot more probable that he is “that guy” rather than not

I agree hes gonna continue to evolve into an elite player, but I think they theyre gonna have to use a different template than what most teams are doing in terms of using their best player as the primary playmaker. I think in today’s NBA you need someone big enough to pass over the defense, or in the case of Curry/Irving someone small and quick enough to dribble thru them. I think Ant is sort of in between these two ideals and I dont really see him becoming an elite passer, therefore they need to add someone who can either command attention in the post, or someone who breaks down the d off the dribble. Unlike a Luka, a Giannis, a Shai, youre not just gonna put shooters around him and say go to work. “He needs his Pippen” so to speak, someone to divert the defensive pressure and let him play off ball where he can be extremely dangerous. As the playoffs have progressed here teams have kinda developed the book on him, which is just stifle the driving lanes and force him to give it up, and the Wolves dont really have anyone else to create offense.

He also would benefit from some time with Lebron, learning how to he a champion. The league should allow the Wolves to loan him to the Lakers next year for cash, like they do in european soccer. Minny can tweak the roster while hes gone and when he returns with championship experience the next year theyll be good to go.

Lebron doesnt need the help this would strictly be about Ant’s development.

[warriorfan]

I agree hes gonna continue to evolve into an elite player, but I think they theyre gonna have to use a different template than what most teams are doing in terms of using their best player as the primary playmaker. I think in today’s NBA you need someone big enough to pass over the defense, or in the case of Curry/Irving someone small and quick enough to dribble thru them. I think Ant is sort of in between these two ideals and I dont really see him becoming an elite passer, therefore they need to add someone who can either command attention in the post, or someone who breaks down the d off the dribble. Unlike a Luka, a Giannis, a Shai, youre not just gonna put shooters around him and say go to work. “He needs his Pippen” so to speak, someone to divert the defensive pressure and let him play off ball where he can be extremely dangerous. As the playoffs have progressed here teams have kinda developed the book on him, which is just stifle the driving lanes and force him to give it up, and the Wolves dont really have anyone else to create offense.

He also would benefit from some time with Lebron, learning how to he a champion. The league should allow the Wolves to loan him to the Lakers next year for cash, like they do in european soccer. Minny can tweak the roster while hes gone and when he returns with championship experience the next year theyll be good to go.

Lebron doesnt need the help this would strictly be about Ant’s development.

I agree he’s more a combo guard rather than a true point. Even that being said he has surprised me with how well he has managed. He’s not a savant but he has some cleverness in his vision and game that could benefit a lot with a little polish. I don’t think he will ever be a facilitator like luka/harden/james but he can be a wade type guy where he specializes in alpha scoring.

[FultzNationRISE]

I agree he’s more a combo guard rather than a true point. Even that being said he has surprised me with how well he has managed. He’s not a savant but he has some cleverness in his vision and game that could benefit a lot with a little polish. I don’t think he will ever be a facilitator like luka/harden/james but he can be a wade type guy where he specializes in alpha scoring.

For sure. Keep in mind tho Wade played in the lowest scoring era. He didnt have to keep pace with teams scoring 120 a night. Wade today would have to either make or generate more threes to be a superstar. And Im not saying he couldnt but would he be able to do so at a level that makes him top 5? Who knows. Wings are more athletic, longer defenders now. Youre not guarded by Antoine Walker and Jose Calderon as much anymore, it’s PJ Washington and Derrick Jones Jr collapsing on you. Or SGA and Lu Dort. Kawhi and PG (when healthy). Tatum and Brown and Jrue and Derrick White. Shit aint no joke.

Its just the reality you gotta shoot threes and generate threes now and guys like Ant and Wade who are in between being a point guard and a wing probably arent ideal as elite playmakers. But again, pair him WITH a playmaker and I think theyre really in business.

[warriorfan]

Post got deleted during posting somehow.


That’s annoying.

[FultzNationRISE]

Post got deleted during posting somehow.


That’s annoying.


But you do agree the league should make him a Laker next year, yes?

[Neal Romer]

Reminds me more and more of MJ in the sense you can see he's not gonna be able to carry a team alone. He needs his Pippen. He needs another Top 10 player of the decade running along side him to really turn Minnesota into a dangerous team.

No equivalent of Pip, no chip.

[Neal Romer]

Lebron only needs a ball btw.

[ILLsmak]

Ma sent me a Text. I figured you would be around here somewhere.

the text "get da abortion."

-Smak