Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves announced their arrival to this year’s postseason with a 25-point bang if you will. Defeating the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of this seven-game series, Edwards became the talk of the town in an instant, with fans taking their admiration for the 22-year-old to every media platform they could think of. And of course, NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins was always going to go right with them.
The Wolves defeated the Suns, 120-95 (per NBA.com), dominating all quarters except the first, allowing the team to build up a massive margin by the end. Having an incredibly impressive individual night, Anthony Edwards led Minnesota in terms of scoring, finishing the night with a healthy 33-point performance, per Statmuse. Simply put, the 22-year-old led his team to victory, as he has done throughout this past NBA regular season.
After the game, Kendrick Perkins and the rest of the crew of ESPN’s NBA Countdown broke down the first game between the Suns and the Wolves. Amid their discussion, Perkins was asked to give his two cents on sharing the court with a young player like Anthony Edwards with a trajectory toward greatness. And Perk did not hold back.
“I’ve never played with a young great player like that. It’s no disrespect to KD, no disrespect to Russ or James Harden. That type of leader.”
After winning an NBA championship with a veteran Boston squad in 2008, Kendrick Perkins went on to join a young Oklahoma City Thunder team that featured young versions of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.
For Kendrick Perkins to throw them by the wayside in his praise for Edwards, while a bit controversial, speaks volumes about the talent and tenacity of the young star. Despite still being younger than 25, the young star is already spearheading a title contender in the NBA, something even the great Michael Jordan couldn’t manage. So, it really is hard to blame Perkins for his reaction to the Timberwolves superstar.
Anthony Edwards had Perk fawning over him
Anthony Edwards stepped up when the Minnesota Timberwolves needed someone to step in during Game 1. The team got somewhat decent performances from Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns on the offensive end, leading the Ant-Man to step up and carry his team to the finish line.
As for the Suns, apart from Kevin Durant, it seemed as if no one else came with a playoff mindset; leading to a lackluster performance. And while Perkins chose not to acknowledge KD’s efforts, it may also be because of their brief history of a Twitter beef.
There is a very strong chance that despite their internet feud having a few years on it now, Perkins may have still held onto some sort of a personal grudge to this day. But will Perk be able to give credit where credit is due if the Suns can bounce back in Game 2?
