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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

After a two-loss streak that developed a major obstacle on their road toward the Conference Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves are now back on track. They secured a big win during Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets, as a result of which both teams currently hold a 3-3 score. Most of the credit for this win goes to the franchise’s lead scorer Anthony Edwards, who led the scoring effort with his 27 points and displayed a defensive play that kept his rivals at bay. Despite his recent performance and stats during the previous matchups, a few people still question whether so much hope and responsibility should be put on the shoulders of this 22-year-old star.

A few hours ago, renowned sportswriter and critic Bill Simmons released another episode of his highly acclaimed podcast. With blogger Rob Mahoney and Chris Ryan joining in as co-hosts, the trio devoted a segment to discussing the upcoming Game 7 clash between the two powerhouse teams. Mahoney believes that Nuggets star Jamal Murray is yet to shine in the Semifinals and that his moment may come in the next game. Simmons also voiced his opinion in favor of the defending champions, stating that he trusts their infrastructure and the players in that team more than the Timberwolves. In fact, he wouldn’t place his faith even in the lead scorer of the latter franchise.

USA Today via Reuters

“Ant, who? You’re still betting on a 22-year-old guy who’s gonna wanna be the hero of the game? said Simmons. Can he calm himself down? Can he just find the angles? Can he play like he did in Game 4, basicallyBut in a Game 7, there’s just not a lot of evidence that if you’re trusting a young player and some of the variables they havethey might come out and just be, you know, it could be Hagler-Hearns and they’re just flying around.” The remark referenced the renowned 1985 fight between Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns.

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Along with Edwards, Simmons also chose to highlight Karl-Anthony Towns alleged unreliability and Jaden McDaniels shooting skills as reasons for not trusting those members of the Timberwolves roster. While Edwards may have allegedly established himself as the Michael Jordan of the modern generation, the podcaster believes that the player’s young age makes him a Maverick, i.e., someone who may end up taking the scoring reins all for himself. Therefore, for him, placing such big hopes on Edwards or any young player is not the solution.

If the 54-year-old sport’s veteran has grown doubtful of Ant-Man then this is something new. After all, it wasn’t that long ago when he compared the player and the Timberwolves to one of the best championship teams in the history of the NBA.

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Bill Simmons compared Anthony Edwards’ Timberwolves and Michael Jordan’s Bulls

Almost two weeks ago, Bill Simmons released an episode in the aftermath of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ first win against the Denver Nuggets. The game was close (106-99), and the desired result couldn’t have been reached if it wasn’t for Anthony Edwards’ 43 points. The podcaster was so impressed by the young star and his teammates that he compared them with the iconic 1991 Chicago Bulls team, led by Michael Jordan, that brought the championship trophy to Illinois’ most populated city for the first time ever.

“IAnt’s gonna look like that, they are gonna win the series! said Simmons. He then started using some stats to show why Anthony Edwards and Michael Jordan may very well be the same person.

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USA Today via Reuters

Unfortunately, the 54-year-old’s opinion now seems to have become a thing of the past. It would make sense because, since that game, the Nuggets managed to add two wins to their name and became an equal contender.