On a Minnesota Timberwolves-centric podcast, Jim Petersen dropped a hot take.
The NBA is firmly a young man’s league now. Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry have all had their seasons ended and Anthony Edwards, Paolo Banchero, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgious-Alexander, and Jalen Brunson have been at the center of the NBA playoff conversations. Simply put, the future is now.
That said, there is an alien presence looming above all of the contenders this season. Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are certainly a step behind his next era of NBA stars, but when they catch up, the league will once again run through Texas.
Nov 10, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) passes the ball over Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) and center Rudy Gobert (27) during the first half at Frost Bank Center.
We can’t blame fans of other teams for expressing optimism about their future. It’s an exciting time in the NBA where it really feels like anybody can seize the throne. Whoever wins it all this season will have a short-lived reign, as the Spurs could be back to relevance as soon as next season.
The darling of the NBA playoffs this season has been Anthony Edwards, who talked trash, hit shots, and eliminated Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns in round one. His play has simply been astronomical, and he has entered into the top-five player in the league conversations.
That said, would you take Edwards over Wembanyama to start a franchise? According to The Athletic’s player poll, 27.9 percent of NBA players would start a team with Wembanyama, 27.2 percent would choose Nikola Jokic, and in a distant third 10.3 percent would choose Anthony Edwards. It’s worth noting that the poll came out before the playoffs started, but Wembanyama had a comfortable lead on Edwards.
After the playoffs started, some tunes started changing. Jim Petersen of Bally Sports North took to the Flragrant Howls podcast to drop a hot take.
“I hear people talking about who they would trade Ant for…there was a time where you could put more people on the list but right now I think the list is Jokic and maybe that’s it,” he said. “That’s the only player I would remotely even think about. Even Wembanyama, you know…I’m not trading Ant for Wembanyama.”
He made sure to explain that his explanation was not a knock against Wembanyama, comparing the French center to Hakeem Olajuwon and Edwards to Michael Jordan. Both were excellent players, but one had a clear edge.
The Edwards and Wembanyama comparison and eventual rivalry will set the tone for the next decade or more. However, at only 20 years old, it is still a bit early to make any definite statements. For now, a TV analyst based in Minnesota will happily take Edwards, and yours truly, writing for Inside the Spurs, will take Wembanyama.
For now, we can both be happy with our choices.
