.The Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves will lock horns in the 2024 Western Conference Finals. Both teams are led by young superstars:
Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd is extremely impressed with what Edwards has achieved in this run, praising his abilities on the court and how he carries himself as a leader.
“When you look at Ant, just his ability, you know, one, to command leadership at 22. That’s pretty special. His talent and his smile are infectious. You just look at, he has all the qualities… He is a star in this league. Again, his teammates trust him and they should. He’s one of the best players in the world. He is built to be a leader in this league and he’s showing that here in the playoffs.”
Edwards is averaging 28.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in the 2024 Playoffs, proving to the world that he’s among the genuine superstar talents of the NBA.
He has led this Wolves squad on and off the court at the age of 22 years, an incredible achievement for a player whose love for basketball was questioned when he was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Mavericks will have their hands full with trying to limit Edwards’ production in this series, with the talented swingman spearheading their offense. Dallas has been the second-strongest defense in the Playoffs behind Minnesota, so this is going to be a rough series for both teams.
Many would look at the defining matchup of this series as Edwards vs. Doncic, but it’s highly unlikely we’ll see the two matched up during this series. Edwards is already preparing for the player he thinks will be his primary assignment, Kyrie Irving.
Edwards can’t spend his energy trying to guard Luka, as the bruising 6’8″ guard could wear Ant down over the course of the series and hurt his offensive production. Jaden McDaniels has been Doncic’s primary cover every time these teams have faced, with Doncic struggling against McDaniels until he averaged 36.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 10.5 assists over two games with Jaden as his primary matchup.
The regular season encounters between these teams are worthless, as the Mavericks only were healthy in one out of the four games they played. The top-five leaders for the Mavs in minutes against the Wolves this season feature either rotational players that are getting DNPs like Dwight Powell, or players who were traded away like Grant Williams.
Edwards has struggled in the individual matchup against Dallas, averaging 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in four games. But the regular season is immaterial in the Playoffs, as Edwards has proven he can deliver consistently on the biggest stage.
The Wolves will be favored in the series after dispatching the reigning champions while also being the higher seed, but the Mavericks will be raring to continue their string of upsets and make the NBA Finals.