Kevin Durant Holds the Key to Halting Anthony Edwards’ Playoff Surge, Claims Draymond Green

While the play-in tournament is yet to determine the bottom two playoff teams in both Conferences, the middle bracket is set with their matchups. The Minnesota Timberwolves will face the Phoenix Suns in the first round in the wild-wild West. This is Anthony Edwards’ opportunity to prove he is the next big thing as he goes head-to-head against the Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker. Even Draymond Green is looking forward to the highly-anticipated matchup. And he believes the key to upsetting Ant-Man in the first round lies in KD’s hands.

Draymond posed the most difficult question about the Suns vs. Timberwolves matchup in the latest episode of The Draymond Green Show. “Who is going to guard Anthony Edwards?” Ant-Man has had a monster year, averaging 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists. The Warriors Forward still picked Phoenix to beat Minnesota despite Edwards’ dominance. However, Draymond’s claim came with a specific condition! He believed for the Suns to win, his former teammate Kevin Durant would need to step up and take the challenge, “At some point throughout this series, Kevin Durant is going to have to guard Anthony Edwards.”

Bradley Beal will likely start the series guarding Edwards. But the size difference could prove too much for the former Wizards star. Draymond believes KD will have to showcase his defensive tenacity to stop Edwards from maximizing his potential. Durant has never lost to Edwards in his career. He has a 6-0 record against the Timberwolves star. Moreover, Edwards has revealed that KD is his GOAT.

So, it could also be a mental challenge for Edwards to go face-to-face against his childhood idol.

Can Kevin Durant and Co. upset Minnesota despite the size disadvantage?

Phoenix vs. Minnesota is going to be an interesting matchup for both teams. While the Suns are laced with elite shooters and lethal offensive weapons, the Timberwolves have a distinct size advantage against them. Karl-Anthony Towns also returned from injury for the final two games of the season following an 18-game hiatus. He is likely to suit up against the Suns in the first round. That means Minnesota could continue with their two Center lineup featuring KAT and Rudy Gobert. They will also have an elite Center coming off the bench in Naz Reid.

However, Draymond believes the size disadvantage might not pose a threat to Kevin Durant and Co. “No one really plays that style of basketball anymore.” Players do not post up that much in today’s era of basketball because the paint gets too tight. And if the Suns choose to do so and get stuck, they have several elite shooters to pass the ball to on the outside. Apart from KD, Beal, and Booker’s shooting prowess, the Suns have found another sharpshooter in Grayson Allen. Grayson shocked everyone with his performance this year, leading the league in three-point percentage at 46.1%. The Suns might have the upper hand against Minnesota in today’s shooter-dominant era.

That could mean Anthony Edwards’ incredible regular season run might get cut short in the first round of the playoffs for the third straight year. Who do you think will win the series between Phoenix and Minnesota?