Former Laker criticizes Anthony Edwards after Minnesota's playoff loss
After the Minnesota Timberwolves got past the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the NBA playoffs in five games, some started to believe they could make a magical run deep into the postseason.
The team pushed aside the Golden State Warriors, who were without Stephen Curry for most of the second round, and reached the Western Conference finals for the second year in a row. But once there, they fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games, and it wasn't even that close.
Some are criticizing budding superstar Anthony Edwards for not playing up to his standards on a consistent basis. After his Timberwolves were eliminated, Edwards didn't express any real pain and even said that the situation is "exciting" because of how young he is.
The implication he gave is that he will get plenty more chances to reach the NBA Finals and win a world championship.
But nothing is guaranteed, no matter how great or young one is. That's the message former Lakers guard Lou Williams had for Edwards during an appearance on "Run it Back."
"I love the attitude but Ant just slightly missed the mark," Williams said. "I've been to the Eastern Conference Finals once in 17 years. That is something you don't want to take for granted. Those opportunities come few and in between."
Edwards has put up some monster games in the playoffs over the last two years. But as supremely gifted as he is, he's a little too inconsistent at this point in his career. He still has room for improvement as far as being consistently effective, as well as overcoming some defensive strategies.
While the Timberwolves are a good team, they aren't exactly a juggernaut. The Lakers and Golden State Warriors could be championship-caliber again next season, and a team such as the Houston Rockets, which finished second in the West, could end up landing Kevin Durant this summer.
No one can safely predict right now when Edwards will be playing for a spot in the NBA Finals again.
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