Anthony Edwards Trajectory

[Jamaaliver]

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[Ron Swanson]

It's funny listening to both Booker and Tatum idolize and obsess over Kobe for so many years. Meanwhile, Ant is actually the guy who's the Kobe successor, and already better than both those dudes.

[Special_Puppy]

I think he’ll be the best player in the league outside of Jokic, and then whenever Jokic slows down, Ant will pass him.

Wemby? Luka? SGA?

[Special_Puppy]

Personally waiting for him to string together a complete 90+ game season where he's clearly a top 5 player before I make any judgements. I don't think its crazy to say that he could be as good as Kobe if he hits his absolute ceiling.

[Special_Puppy]

Ant's elevated playoff numbers in the very small 14 game sample come because he is launching way more midrange+3 point shots AND hitting them at a much higher clip than he is in the regular season. I don't have any idea whether that's sustainable or not.

[thinktank]

Ant's elevated playoff numbers in the very small 14 game sample come because he is launching way more midrange+3 point shots AND hitting them at a much higher clip than he is in the regular season. I don't have any idea whether that's sustainable or not.

Right. He just happens to get hot every time the playoffs start. What a coincidence.

[TimberKat]

Ant's elevated playoff numbers in the very small 14 game sample come because he is launching way more midrange+3 point shots AND hitting them at a much higher clip than he is in the regular season. I don't have any idea whether that's sustainable or not.

He always had a reasonable 3pt shoot. The mid- range is something he has been working on and one of the major improvements as the year progresses. I expect him to have that going forward. It's actually relatively easy for him to get 30+ with the current team setting.

[TwitterFingers]

I think he’ll be the best player in the league outside of Jokic, and then whenever Jokic slows down, Ant will pass him.

Wemby? Luka? SGA?

Brunson?

[Special_Puppy]

Ant's elevated playoff numbers in the very small 14 game sample come because he is launching way more midrange+3 point shots AND hitting them at a much higher clip than he is in the regular season. I don't have any idea whether that's sustainable or not.

He always had a reasonable 3pt shoot. The mid- range is something he has been working on and one of the major improvements as the year progresses. I expect him to have that going forward. It's actually relatively easy for him to get 30+ with the current team setting.

I mean if that's true I'd be interested to see if he can sustain that midrange+3 point volume+efficiency over a 90+ game season

[Special_Puppy]

Ant's elevated playoff numbers in the very small 14 game sample come because he is launching way more midrange+3 point shots AND hitting them at a much higher clip than he is in the regular season. I don't have any idea whether that's sustainable or not.

Right. He just happens to get hot every time the playoffs start. What a coincidence.

Players have 14 game hot streaks all the time. Caleb martin played had 23 post season games (9 more than Ant has played his entire career!) in 2023 and shot over 10%+ better than his career true shooting %.

[thinktank]

Ant's elevated playoff numbers in the very small 14 game sample come because he is launching way more midrange+3 point shots AND hitting them at a much higher clip than he is in the regular season. I don't have any idea whether that's sustainable or not.

Right. He just happens to get hot every time the playoffs start. What a coincidence.

Players have 14 game hot streaks all the time. Caleb martin played had 23 post season games (9 more than Ant has played his entire career!) in 2023 and shot over 10%+ better than his career true shooting %.

Do they have them in the playoffs in three consecutive seasons and then regress?

Show me a player who had a great first 15 games of playoffs and then regressed.

Mitchell? He never played D. Who else?

For fun, here’s Ant’s playoff debut—a 36 point romp against the Grizzlies.

https://youtu.be/0Q7C1ikAgxk?si=anKPa61LRZanVlRu

“Edwards just dripping with confidence!”

[liquidswords]

He's a really interesting case study because he shows frequent flashes of being a superstar and the next face of the league but then he'll sprinkle in some stinkers. Its probably just growing pains and he's the real deal.

[Special_Puppy]

Right. He just happens to get hot every time the playoffs start. What a coincidence.

Players have 14 game hot streaks all the time. Caleb martin played had 23 post season games (9 more than Ant has played his entire career!) in 2023 and shot over 10%+ better than his career true shooting %.

Do they have them in the playoffs in three consecutive seasons and then regress?

Show me a player who had a great first 15 games of playoffs and then regressed.

Mitchell? He never played D. Who else?

For fun, here’s Ant’s playoff debut—a 36 point romp against the Grizzlies.

https://youtu.be/0Q7C1ikAgxk?si=anKPa61LRZanVlRu

“Edwards just dripping with confidence!”

Mike Gminski. Also, for consistency's sake do you believe in playoff Murray?

[Special_Puppy]

He's a really interesting case study because he shows frequent flashes of being a superstar and the next face of the league but then he'll sprinkle in some stinkers. Its probably just growing pains and he's the real deal.

Yeah I'm really interested if he's able to sustain top 5 production and efficiency over 90+ games

[Pelly24]

He has all the physical tools and most of the skills to get it done. Needs to get to the line like 9 attempts a game to maximize his scoring potential game to game. Needs to level up his IQ and playmaking even more. Maybe he'll do it.

But I still think if you put Devin Booker or Tatum here, you get the same result. This Wolves team is low-key *stacked*. DPOY, 6MOY and that's before you get to KAT, an All-NBA talent who's averaged 22 ppg on 63 TS%. And then there's still Mike Conley, who remains an easy net positive even at this point of his career. Ant is in close to the most ideal situation you could ever be in as a young player with talent. If he were on the pistons instead of Cade, I can almost guarantee you he'd be out of the playoffs and we'd be arguing about whether his scoring and athleticism contribute to wins.

[thinktank]

Players have 14 game hot streaks all the time. Caleb martin played had 23 post season games (9 more than Ant has played his entire career!) in 2023 and shot over 10%+ better than his career true shooting %.

Do they have them in the playoffs in three consecutive seasons and then regress?

Show me a player who had a great first 15 games of playoffs and then regressed.

Mitchell? He never played D. Who else?

For fun, here’s Ant’s playoff debut—a 36 point romp against the Grizzlies.

https://youtu.be/0Q7C1ikAgxk?si=anKPa61LRZanVlRu

“Edwards just dripping with confidence!”

Mike Gminski. Also, for consistency's sake do you believe in playoff Murray?

Hope you’re joking about Gminski.

Murray is injured. TBD.

[Black Jack]

Gminsky...now that I a name I have not heard in a long time...

Watch on YouTube

[Special_Puppy]

Do they have them in the playoffs in three consecutive seasons and then regress?

Show me a player who had a great first 15 games of playoffs and then regressed.

Mitchell? He never played D. Who else?

For fun, here’s Ant’s playoff debut—a 36 point romp against the Grizzlies.

https://youtu.be/0Q7C1ikAgxk?si=anKPa61LRZanVlRu

“Edwards just dripping with confidence!”

Mike Gminski. Also, for consistency's sake do you believe in playoff Murray?

Hope you’re joking about Gminski.

Murray is injured. TBD.

5+ rise in his BPM through his first 15 playoff games!

https://stathead.com/basketball/versus-finder.cgi?request=1&seasons_type=perchoice&player_id1=gminsmi01&p1yrfrom=1982&p1yrto=1984&player_id2=edwaran01&p2yrfrom=2022&p2yrto=2024

[TheZachAttack]

He's a really interesting case study because he shows frequent flashes of being a superstar and the next face of the league but then he'll sprinkle in some stinkers. Its probably just growing pains and he's the real deal.

Yeah I'm really interested if he's able to sustain top 5 production and efficiency over 90+ games

He doesn't try against bad teams (regularly takes like 4 shots the whole game) and will do stuff like try to hit bank shots only on jump shots for fun. His team, playing with two bigs and without a truly elite #2 most of the time, does not play with the pace or space of most modern NBA offenses. That being said, he scores tough baskets through physical play as well as anyone in the league and is extremely competitive in the games that matter. It's not a surprise that when the going gets tough, other "elite statistical players" going and Ant elevates.

I think Ant is somewhat similar to Jimmy in that way during the regular season -- other stars stat pad and go for 60 against bad teams. Ant's stats would look a lot better if he did that. I think because he's a bit of a streaky shooter, he actually also just isn't as consistent against bad teams as stars but when the play gets really physical and spacing gets tough Ant usually scores more and more efficiently than other guys who have better statistical profiles

I'm not sure how much of this is maturity and how much of this is dawg and how much I would want it to change.

[BlacJacMac]

He has all the physical tools and most of the skills to get it done. Needs to get to the line like 9 attempts a game to maximize his scoring potential game to game. Needs to level up his IQ and playmaking even more. Maybe he'll do it.

But I still think if you put Devin Booker or Tatum here, you get the same result. This Wolves team is low-key *stacked*. DPOY, 6MOY and that's before you get to KAT, an All-NBA talent who's averaged 22 ppg on 63 TS%. And then there's still Mike Conley, who remains an easy net positive even at this point of his career. Ant is in close to the most ideal situation you could ever be in as a young player with talent. If he were on the pistons instead of Cade, I can almost guarantee you he'd be out of the playoffs and we'd be arguing about whether his scoring and athleticism contribute to wins.

He needs to master the SGA/Booker push off that somehow always gets called against the defender.