A few weeks ago, it seemed as though Anthony Edwards could lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to their first championship in franchise history.
They had systematically dismantled the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors in five games apiece in the first two rounds of the playoffs behind a grinning Edwards, a fleet of players shining in their roles and a swarming defense.
Throughout their 8-2 postseason run leading up to the Western Conference Finals, Edwards was being hailed as the future face of the league; Julius Randle had transformed into a star again; Jaden McDaniels was making a name for himself and, after a monster performance in Game 5 against the Lakers, Rudy Gobert was even drawing comparisons to Shaquille O'Neal.
But the Oklahoma City Thunder exposed the Timberwolves' frailties, using a suffocating defense to make it painfully obvious that both Edwards and his team aren't ready for the big stage. That was never more apparent than Wednesday's Game 5, when they were eliminated from the Conference Finals by a 124-94 drubbing.
With their season on the line, the Timberwolves essentially waved the white flag midway through the first quarter. They were simply overpowered in every aspect by the Thunder, who led by as much as 39 points.
This much is clear.
The 23-year-old Edwards has a ways to go before being likened to Michael Jordan, who famously shined despite the Detroit Pistons' game plan essentially being a photo of him with an X through it. It took a while for Jordan to figure out how to get through triple-teams and throngs of elbows and, similarly, Edwards is going to need to learn how to play to his potential regardless of what defenses do.
The fact that Edwards has some growing to do was
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