Anthony Edwards has never been accused of lacking confidence and made yet another bold claim recently during a conversation with Chris Tucker for Interview Magazine.
When Tucker asked Edwards if he’d like to play Ja Morant 1-on-1, he made it clear he would and reckoned he could beat him easily too.
“Oh yeah, he’ll be back this year,” Edwards said. “A lot of people, I ain’t going to say they forgot about him, but he went under wraps for a few months, because he hasn’t been playing. But as far as one-on-one, yeah, I can probably cook him.”
This would be a fascinating matchup. I think it would be a lot closer than Edwards thinks too, as Morant is such a special talent.
Edwards brought up how people have somewhat forgotten how great of a player Morant is after he played just nine games last season and he himself might be underrating him a bit. The Memphis Grizzlies superstar averaged 25.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in 2023-24, and there aren’t too many players around who’d have a shot at “cooking” him 1-on-1.
I don’t think Edwards, who averaged 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in 2023-24 would be able to pull it off. That said, I would back the Minnesota Timberwolves star to win if they ever did play 1-on-1.
What gives Edwards the edge over Morant is that he is a considerably better defender. While neither player will be able to shut down the other, I think Edwards is more likely to get the occasional stop, which would eventually get him the win.
In recent years, fans have been clamoring for 1-on-1 games during All-Star weekend and this would be a matchup everyone would love to see if the NBA ever introduces them. While my money would be on Edwards, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Morant gets the better of him.
Edwards is one of the players featured in Netflix’s Starting 5, and he sent out a warning to the rest of the NBA with his final message in it.
“When you’re in your prime, you’re like 26. The s*** that I’m doing, I’m doing this s*** at 22,” Edwards said. “Imagine when I’m 25-26 when the s*** is perfect, everything perfected… So let’s go for a good ride. Buckle the f*** up.”
Edwards is only going to get better as he is nowhere near his prime at the moment and that is a scary thought for the rest of the NBA. The two-time All-Star just led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals and I think he will go one step further at some point in the coming years.
As for individual accolades, Kendrick Perkins believes Edwards is going to win MVP in 2024-25. The 23-year-old finished seventh in voting last season and while I do believe he will finish higher in the rankings next year, I don’t see him winning the award. He could win it in a few years, though.
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