“Matchup I Personally Wanted”: Anthony Edwards Relishes Chance To Beat NBA’s ‘Best 2-Guard’, Devin Booker

After a regular season filled with various highs, lows, and moments that will be remembered for a long time, the 2024 NBA Playoffs are set to commence soon. The first round of games will feature the third-seeding Minnesota Timberwolves going up against the 2022 Division Title Holder Phoenix Suns. It will be a battle between two prominent shooting guards, as star players Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker will be pitted against each other before they head off to the Paris Olympics. Given the high stakes, not much would be better than to know the thought process currently being held by each player.

A few hours ago, Anthony Edwards made an appearance on ‘NBA Today’. During the same, the host called Devin Booker “the best 2-guard in the NBA” and Edwards “the guy who has always been right behind him”. When asked if the latter would like to overthrow his rival for the prestigious title, the Timberwolves player let him know that there was nothing better that he would like.

“I think this is the matchup that I wanted personally because they got two of the best 2-guards in the NBA,” said Edwards. “Book been the best 2-guard in the league for a minute”.

Edwards’ remarks did not mark the first time in recent days that he chose to place his prowess in front of all others. During an interview with Malika Andrews on ‘NBA on ESPN’, the 22-year-old talked about his progress and how he has just shown just about “40%” of his overall potential till now. Highlighting that he is still trying to figure out where he belongs as a point guard and what would be the best way for him to utilize his offensive play, Edwards didn’t shy away from stating that he will be the best player in the NBA within “the next two or three years”.

Anthony Edwards vs Devin Booker: A comparison of stats

The upcoming Timberwolves-Suns clash will mark the first time that Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker will be facing off against each other during a playoff game. Since the former was drafted into the league four years ago, however, he and the Suns guard have clashed on 12 separate occasions during the regular season. If history is any indication, then Edwards will have to watch his back during the upcoming game.

In the 12 games featuring Edwards and Booker, the Phoenix Suns have established a W/L record of 11-1. Booker has been seen giving out some of his best performances during the same matchups, averaging a score of 27.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists. Edwards, on the other hand, has been unable to reach that level and has only managed to accumulate 20.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. Booker holds the lead in terms of shooting ability as well, since his free throw percentage is 9.9% higher and his field goal percentage is 6.9% higher than Edwards.

The most recent clash between the duo took place barely a week ago. The Suns once again took home the win as Booker assisted Bradley Beal and contributed 23 points to the overall score. Edwards fell behind and could only drop 13 points during his 35 minutes.

With the stakes being much higher during the playoffs, which point guard will you be rooting for? Let us know in the comments down below.