Perkins sings Anthony Edwards' praises: 'Better all-around player than Luka'

Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves' 23-year-old superstar, authored perhaps the most impressive single-game performance of his entire career in Sunday's thrilling Game 4 victory, which gave Minnesota a 3-1 series lead over LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Edwards had 43 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, scoring 16 in the fourth quarter as the Wolves rallied from a ten-point deficit and took a commanding lead in this high-profile first round matchup.

It was the latest and maybe greatest playoff showing from Edwards, who is earning a reputation as a postseason riser and force to be reckoned with over the last few years. Minnesota has won 12 of its last 20 playoff games dating back to last season's trip to the Western Conference Finals, and Edwards is at the center of that success. Last year, he helped knock out Kevin Durant and Nikola Jokic in the first two rounds before falling short against Doncic's Mavericks. This year, Ant and the Wolves are one win away from sending James and Doncic home.

Edwards' performance in Game 4 has drawn quite a bit of national praise. One of his staunchest supporters, ESPN's Kendrick Perkins, went on quite the rant about Edwards' greatness during Monday's episode of First Take, making a bold claim about where he sits in comparison to Doncic in the NBA's superstar hierarchy.

"Watching the fourth quarter, I saw what (Mavericks GM) Nico Harrison was talking about when it comes down to the reason why he traded Luka," Perkins said. "He traded Luka because he felt the Dallas Mavericks were not going to be able to win a championship with Luka."

"I didn't feel that way, watching the game, looking at Anthony Edwards," he continued. "I'm saying to myself Anthony Edwards is going to win a championship before Luka Doncic. Anthony Edwards is built different. Anthony Edwards is a better all-around basketball player than Luka Doncic. Now I could come on here, I could blame J.J. Redick for the minutes he played LeBron James at 40 years old. But Luka is young. He should've been able to play those 24 minutes straight. Anthony Edwards did. And Anthony Edwards thrived in those minutes."

Redick and the Lakers made history by not making a single substitution in the entire second half — the first time an NBA team had ever done that in a playoff game. And with the way the Wolves closed the game, it's hard not to wonder if fatigue played some kind of role. James had a remarkable game with 27 points, 12 boards, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks, but he didn't score a point in the fourth. Doncic scored 38 points, but he had just seven on six shots in the fourth. Edwards and the Wolves smelled blood and got the job done.

To say that Edwards is better than Doncic certainly qualifies as a hot take. Luka has five consecutive first team All-NBA appearances to Ant's zero, and his Dallas team bested Edwards's Minnesota team in five games to reach the NBA Finals last year. But at the same time, four games into this series, it also doesn't seem completely crazy to say.

Edwards has averaged roughly 30 points, 8 boards, and 6 assists on 45/43/83 shooting splits in this series. Doncic has averaged 31, 7, and 5 on 46/37/93 splits. The production is quite similar. But when you look deeper, it's clear that Edwards has been the better player and is a major reason why the Wolves have won three of the four games. He's got a 23-to-6 assist to turnover ratio, compared to 20-to-18 for Doncic. He's the superior defender, especially on the ball.

And in the fourth quarters, when it matters most, Ant has put up 30-12-7 (in total) on 43 percent shooting. Luka, in those same quarters, has recorded 20-8-1 on 29 percent shooting. That's where the conditioning discussion with Doncic — which came up after Harrison made the stunning trade — might be a factor. Luka has been absolutely incredible in the first quarter in this series, but that's not when games are won or lost.

Right now, there just aren't many players doing more for their teams on both ends of the floor than Edwards. Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum are locks to be first team All-NBA selections this year because they consistently played at an elite level during the regular season. But Edwards' play in the postseason has elevated himself into conversations with those same players.

"When I look at what he's done and what he's doing, not only did he send KD home last year, he sent Jokic home last year, he's now about to send LeBron and Luka home this season because they're going to win this series," Perkins said. "And think about this for a second, in the next round, he could possibly facing Steph Curry. And what if he sends them home? He absolutely has a chance to send Steph Curry packing.

"This man is just built different. And it's not just about the 40-plus points and the assists and the rebounds, he defends his ass off. He wanted smoke with LeBron, he wanted smoke with Luka. That's what I like. I'm looking at Anthony Edwards and I'm saying to myself, he is a top-five player in the game today. TODAY. If I'm starting a franchise, yes, we have Jokic, we have Giannis, we have those guys, but dammit, you better not overlook Anthony Edwards."

Kendrick Perkins:

“Anthony Edwards is going to win a championship before Luka Doncic… [Ant] is a better all-around basketball player than Luka Doncic... [Ant] is a top 5 player in the game today.”

(via @FirstTake, h/t @ClutchPoints)pic.twitter.com/BBbnnBSQth
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 28, 2025

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