Timberwolves: 3 West All-Star faves Anthony Edwards is outplaying

Player III: Sacramento Kings G De’Aaron Fox

There is no doubt that Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox is good. Much like Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, he is a team leader in scoring, and as a point guard, he is good at getting the basketball into the hands of the team’s open shooter. But he is not playing the best season of his career, while Edwards most certainly is.

So let’s break down their contribution to their respective teams. Fox averages 33.0 minutes and 23.8 points per game. But he has only played in 37 of 40 games for the Sacramento Kings. Edwards has averaged 36.2 minutes and 23.6 points per game and has appeared in all 42 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves, despite the fact that he has been nursing a hip injury for two weeks. Call me biased, but I lean toward the advantage: Anthony Edwards.

Okay, what else do these players do? Fox averages 4.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. Edwards averages 6.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. Once more, from an objective take, Edwards is fundamentally better on defense, which is a huge plus for the team that he plays for.

But the real deal-breaker in my mind is the simple fact that Fox has played among a healthy NBA roster all season. No starter on the Kings roster has played fewer than 36 games. For the Timberwolves roster, one starter has played fewer than half of the scheduled games so far. That means whenever teams prepare to face the Wolves, they can focus their defensive efforts on stopping Edwards. Yet, A1 takes a licking and keeps on ticking.