Anthony Edwards is a young star for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Much like Luka Doncic with the Dallas Mavericks, he is turning into the face of his franchise and displaying his talents to the world. Since his co-star Karl-Anthony Towns has been sidelined due to injuries this season, Edwards has stepped up for the Timberwolves.
They currently hold a record of 28 wins and 26 losses and are remaining competitive in the Western Conference. As we all know, NBA fans love statistics and soon drew comparisons between Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic. Let us take a look at these stats and understand their context.
Is Anthony Edwards a better three-point shooter than Luka Doncic?
The three-point line has revolutionized modern basketball. When we include the new skills that some of these players possess, along with the increased pace and transition, the game itself seems to be changing. While certain aspects will forever remain the same, players are certainly freer to do what they want and adhere to a positionless playstyle that suits them best.
That is the only explanation we can provide to explain the statistics. Anthony Edwards has made more three-point shots before turning 22 years old, even surpassing Luka Doncic in the process. He has already made 534 three-pointers and won’t be turning 22 until August.
On the other hand, Doncic had made only 419 three-pointers when he turned 22 years old and the difference speaks for itself. This has led plenty of NBA fans to praise Edwards and consider him superior to Luka Doncic. While the numbers are certainly undisputable, there has to be an explanation for this.
His jumper was a question mark pre-draft btw pic.twitter.com/3NIQnQDZZm
— Menacery(0-82) (@Menacery11) February 1, 2023
The only one that we can think of is the fact that Doncic has been the focal offensive point of the Mavs for years now. He is guarded closer on every play when compared to most players in the league. As a result, his overall three-point shooting percentage and accuracy would dip during several games and stretches.
Most 3s before turning 22 years old:
534 — Anthony Edwards
[gap]
419 — Luka DoncicAnt doesn’t turn 22 until August. pic.twitter.com/7YnLHjprwU
— StatMuse (@statmuse) February 1, 2023
On the other hand, Anthony Edwards has been working on his three-point shooting every year. NBA scouts claimed that his shooting would be a weakness heading into the NBA. However, this statistic clearly disputes that. Perhaps, Edwards has been able to get better three-point shots due to having players like Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns on the court.
That is an explanation as to why Edwards managed to achieve this record, not that we are taking anything away from him. He is also a young and rising star in the league who deserves his due props.
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