Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is never afraid to speak his mind, like are hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines this season make it abundantly clear. His latest comments won’t cost him any more money, but they will make headlines.
Edwards called Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the “MVP of the N.B.A” after the Oklahoma City Thunder star dropped 40 points in a 113-105 victory over the Timberwolves on New Year’s Eve.
‘For me he is unguarded’ Edwards said according to ESPN. “As for any one-on-one match, yes, you can go ahead and give up. Usually give him two points. So I think you have to trap him. Maybe that won’t work, but you have to try. You should definitely send a second body, especially if he gets a favorable matchup. Every time he has someone he knows he can’t guard, he will score every time.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been on a tear lately, recording 40 points three times in his last five games. In December, he averaged 33.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.5 steals on 56.3/36.6/91.0 shooting splits. It was especially meaningful to hear Edwards’ words of praise.
“I don’t want to offend any of you in the media, but the best satisfaction is when your colleagues and the guys who do the same thing for a living at a very high level recognize and respect your craft and your talent,” says Gilgeous-Alexander. said. “That is a very good feeling. It is clear that he is a player of the caliber, the sky is the limit. Hard-fought battle tonight.”
With Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way, the Thunder are coming off a 12-game winning streak that has given them a five-game lead atop the Western Conference standings. At 27-5, they are on a 69-win pace, which would be the best season in franchise history. The past few weeks have been especially impressive after the Thunder were embarrassed by the Milwaukee Bucks on a national stage in the N.B.A Cup championship match.
The combination of his own stellar play and the Thunder’s hot streak has made Gilgeous-Alexander the MVP favorite on the betting markets. Heading into New Year’s Day, he was -110 at Caesar’s Sportsbook, ahead of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic at +125 and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo at +600.
There is still more than half of the season left, but if Gilgeous-Alexander wins MVP, he will be the third Thunder player to do so, joining Kevin Durant (2014) and Russell Westbrook (2017).