Would Michael Jordan Have Struggled to Guard Anthony Edwards?

Fans as well as analysts often compare Anthony Edwards to NBA legend Michael Jordan, including his former teammate, Patrick Beverley, recently. Edwards is one of the closest we have seen to Jordan in many aspects. One of the best qualities of the 6x NBA champion was his tenacious mentality, and the 22-year-old has shown he has a similar mindset and believes in himself. It was again evident from his recent interview when he claimed MJ can’t guard him.

The young star made it clear that the Hall of Famer is the “greatest”. However, he is still confident in his abilities. But is it just his confidence talking? Or would Jordan truly struggle against the Ant-Man?

Anthony Edwards is confident Michael Jordan can’t guard him

Michael Jordan is one of the best two-way players ever. He dominated his opponents on both ends of the court which arguably made him the GOAT in the eyes of his fans. Jordan would drop 30 or 40 points against any opponent with ease while also suffocating his opponent with his defensive abilities. For his impressive defense, MJ made the All-Defensive First Team nine times and won the DPOY in 1988. Also, he was the steals leader thrice in his career.

Despite this, Anthony Edwards expressed that the Hall of Famer cannot guard him while speaking with Speedy Morman of Complex. However, he was not being disrespectful. In fact, he asked the comparisons between him and Jordan to end because MJ is the “greatest” according to him.

When asked whether Air Jordan could guard him if Edwards played in that era, he replied “Hell nah! No.” The Minnesota Timberwolves star clarified that he would not drop 40 on him. But he was confident that he would hold his own against the 5x NBA MVP. Though the Ant-Man was sure many would not agree with him, he did not seem bothered about it.

He noted, “In my opinion, I mean, a lot of people gonna say differently. They gonna say I’m talking crazy, but this is just my confidence. I don’t think it’s gonna be easy and I think I’m gonna do my thing versus him, for sure.” Edwards added, “He’s the greatest, don’t get me wrong. But my confidence is still at an all-time high.”

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Edwards, however, made it clear that he is nowhere near Jordan and hoped the comparisons would end. But can he really hold his own against MJ?

Michael Jordan’s defensive prowess

Most defensive or role players would hope to match Michael Jordan on the defensive end. His incredible physical attributes came in handy while defending, especially his hands which are big for his size. Notably, the Hall of Famer’s hand size of 9.75/11.375 inches is bigger than NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain and Kawhi Leonard.

This helped him be an all-around great defensive star. It was very effective in picking his opponent’s pockets and helped him win three steals titles. Jordan has an average of 2.3 steals per game. His efforts on the defensive end helped the Chicago Bulls massively in their pursuit of championships. Notably, MJ ranks 21 in All-Time Defensive Win Shares as per Basketball Reference.

However, the NBA is one of the toughest leagues in the world and every player can score against anyone. Even though many players feared the Black Cat, he was still human, and many stars scored against Jordan with relative ease.

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Even though NBA legend Dominique Wilkins was a small forward, he went up against MJ multiple times and came out on top. The two have had many legendary battles against each other. Also, guards like Clyde Drexler, Reggie Miller, and Allen Iverson have had good offensive games against him as well.

Others who held their own versus Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan’s team has come out on top on most occasions against Dominique Wilkins with a 27-18 record in the regular season and 3-0 in the playoffs. However, Nique always gave his best. Notably, he scored 57 points against the Bulls in 1986 which is the most points anyone has scored against Jordan. MJ had 41 points that game as per StatMuse.

Wilkins has also had three other 40-point games against #23 in his prime. Furthermore, he has the best scoring average against Jordan with a minimum of 20 games. In 45 games versus MJ, the Atlanta Hawks legend averaged 29.8 points per game. Another NBA legend who had many intense battles against Jordan is Clyde Drexler. Predominantly a shooting guard, Drexler averaged 23.5 points in 17 games against him.

When taking into account players who have played over 10 games against the 6x NBA champion, Allen Iverson had the same average as Wilkins with 29.8 points. However, 6 of these games came during Jordan’s time with the Washington Wizards. But Iverson still dropped 44 points in 1997, which is the fourth highest against Air Jordan.

The sharp-shooting Reggie Miller has had some great games versus the Bulls legend as well. In 49 games against him, Miller averaged 19.1 points. He has also had multiple 40 points against a prime MJ while holding him down for less. Another shooting guard who was not fazed by Jordan was Adrian Dantley. He averaged 22 points in 17 games against the Hall of Famer. Furthermore, MJ has a poor record against Dantley with 7 wins and 10 losses in the regular season and 1 win and 4 losses in the postseason.

All these players’ points average when facing MJ are close to their peak scoring numbers or their career average. Even though Jordan’s scoring is not the point of this article, it has to be noted that he has better scoring averages against all these stars except Iverson. So, it is safe to assume these stars played comfortably against Jordan.

Similarly, Anthony Edwards who is currently averaging 22 points per game would have no problem scoring 20 odd points against the Hall of Famer. Given Edwards’ mindset to rise to the occasion, he would have some high-scoring games and MJ would have struggled occasionally to contain him.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.