The Charlotte Hornets will face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. This means we will get to see the reigning Rookie of the Year face off against the runner-up: LaMelo Ball vs. Anthony Edwards.
Both are extremely talented young players who are central to their teams' success. Edwards was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and has put up impressive stats in his sophomore season, averaging 22.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists for a Timberwolves team that's trending in the right direction. Ball has also been hot to start the season, putting up 19.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game.
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LaMelo Ball vs. Anthony Edwards
Young Rivals
Both young stars are humble when asked about one another, but they want to beat the other as much as possible. Everyone knows that Anthony Edwards fell short of his rookie-year goal to win ROY, but he has new goals now. When he was asked about the award earlier this season, he mentioned that he was āhappyā that LaMelo Ball won it.
āI donāt care about that. Iām happy Melo got it. They were saying our draft class wasnāt going to be good, anyway. So, it didnāt bother me that I didnāt get it. Iām trying to be MVP. Iām not really worried about Rookie of the Year.ā
He has definitely set some lofty expectations for himself, but more importantly, he wants to one-up LaMelo. ROY is a great accomplishment for any first-year player, but winning MVP sets you apart from everyone in the entire league.
Edwards has a few more seasons before he may be considered for such an honor, but he has the right mindset. Ball is sure not to fall behind, though. The NBA will see a lot of these two going forward as they bring the league into the future.
Different tools
Despite both guys being elite-level talents, their games are vastly different. LaMelo Ball is more like a Swiss Army Knife. Anything that a team needs on offense, he will provide it, with either playmaking, scoring, or even crashing the offensive glass. He also loves to get out in transition and run the floor to get easy baskets for his teammates. LaMelo even makes an impact on the game defensively as well. He may not be the best on-ball defender, but he is a thief and plays the passing lanes. He's currently sixth in steals with two per game. He possesses an uncanny ability to mesh well with anyone on the court and has a flashy but efficient game.
Anthony Edwards, on the other hand, is a shoot-first kind of guy. He's an uber-athletic swingman who's capable of putting the opposition on a poster at any given moment. Just think back to this dunk on Yuta Watanabe:
But he isn't just putting people on posters. He has shown signs of being a more reliable 3-point shooter and putting the ball on the floor as well. Ant-Man is a threat to score from anywhere on the floor. Even though he was the top pick in his draft, it looks like he plays with a chip on his shoulder.
Bright Futures
The NBA is chock full of young players who will be great. LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards are names spearheading this youth movement. To make matters better for the both of them, they're also breathing life into franchises that aren't in the national spotlight all the time. Over the course of their rookie seasons, they made the Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets must-see TV.
That is why every head-to-head matchup is a huge deal. Both of these young stars have a chip on their shoulders and are trying to prove they're the next big thing in the league while also helping their franchises win at a high level.
The Hornets and Timberwolves are young and energetic teams that get out and get buckets in transition. Be on the lookout for a high-flying, high-scoring game anytime these teams play.
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