Anthony Edwards, one of the NBA’s great young talents and considered by some gurus as the heir to Michael Jordan because of his explosive style of play, athleticism and scoring ability, proved once again that he is light years away from the myth, not so much because of his production but because of his disgraceful and immature behavior, letting his team down in the final stretch of the game that the Wolves lost in Atlanta (126-102).
The unexpected and unauthorized walkout by the Minnesota star, without the permission of his coach or any member of the coaching staff, occurred during a timeout with 7 minutes and 52 seconds remaining. Edwards was apparently upset that coach Chris Finch had already given up on the game and pulled his starters when the Hawks were leading 109-80
A serious lack of professionalism
It was then that, visibly angry, he threw in the towel and left the bench in a clear sign of rebellion more typical of a spoiled brat than a professional who at 24 years of age is the 25th highest paid player in the NBA. Not for nothing, this season he will earn $45.5 million. Although with attitudes like this, and it is not the first time he has portrayed himself, he does not seem to deserve such remuneration.
He was obviously frustrated with the performance and rightly so, but he should stay on the court and encourage his team
Edwards did not speak to the press after the game. His coach, Chris Finch, did speak to the press and disapproved of his wayward disciple’s attitude: “Obviously he was frustrated with the performance and rightly so, but he should stay on the court and encourage his team,” he said of his star’s unprofessional attitude.
Frustrated in front of friends and family
Edwards, the eighth leading scorer in the NBA (29.1 points per game), led his team with 30 points (7/10 t2, 3/8 t3 and 7/8 tl), 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 33 minutes, time he was on the court before his coach sat all his starters, which caused the anger of the shooting guard, a native of Atlanta and former University of Georgia star, frustrated by the presence in the stands of friends and family, including his grandfather.
The night ended with many questions about his leadership, immaturity and lack of professionalism. His frustration had already been evident a week ago, when he was ejected in overtime of the loss to the Nuggets (142-138). In that game he had scored 44 points before being penalized after repeatedly arguing refereeing decisions.
It was a fateful night for the Wolves, sixth in the West (21-13), who only had two players above double digits in scoring, Edwards and Julius Randle (19+7). A poor haul compared to the five players from the Hawks, 10th in the East (16-19), with four players surpassing that barrier
Jalen Johnson makes history
Jalen Johnson (34+10+6) was particularly brilliant in the Hawks’ triumph, becoming the first Hawks player and the seventh in NBA history to average a triple-double with at least 25 points in a month. This milestone had only been achieved by Oscar Robertson (seven times), Russell Westbrook (six), Nikola Jokic (six), Luka Doncic (three), Wilt Chamberlain, and LeBron James.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (11), Dyson Daniels (11+8+9) and substitutes Kristaps Porzingis (16) and Luke Leonard (15+6+5) were the other Atlanta players to reach double figures.
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