Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards labeled by NBA scouts as Michael Jordan’s heir apparent

Anthony Edwards is off to an incredible start for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2023-24 season. His performance was so good that NBA scouts raved about him, with some even calling him the heir apparent to Michael Jordan.

The latest news comes from ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who adds that the scout also said Edwards came close to stealing Giannis Antetokounmpo’s crown as the The best two-way player in the league today.

“Talking to some scouts before last night’s game, one of the guys said about Anthony Edwards ‘He’s the next Michael Jordan’ … His point was: There’s not a lot of guys running offense. “He’s going to compete for Giannis’ crown as the best two-way superstar,” McMahon said on the Hoop Collective podcast. “

Sure enough, at this point in the Timberwolves star’s career, calling Anthony Edwards the next Michael Jordan might be a stretch. However, the scouts McMahon spoke to made a good point about how Ant-Man could develop into a two-way superstar like his aerial counterpart.

Jordan averaged 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in his career. So far in the 2023-24 season, Edwards has averaged 27.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks per game. Looking at those numbers, it’s no surprise that Edwards would compare to Jordan.

The fact that Edwards has embraced the challenge of guarding his opponent’s best player, as he did when he locked down Jayson Tatum against the Boston Celtics , is a testament to his growth as a player. An impactful player on both ends of the court.

Edwards may not be at Jordan’s level offensively and defensively, but he’s certainly working toward getting there.