The Minnesota Timberwolves got one step closer to their ultimate goal on Monday night with a 117-110 road win over the Golden State Warriors to take a 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals. Anthony Edwards finished with his second-straight 30-point game of the series, and his play has many wondering: How long could it be before number five overtakes Kevin Garnett as the greatest player in Timberwolves franchise history?
In all honestly, it may not be long if the Wolves keep this up. For Minnesota, Monday night's win put them just one more victory away from reaching the Western Conference Finals for a second season in a row. Should the Timberwolves win at least one game in their next three and advance, it will mark the third conference finals trip in franchise history, and the first time the franchise has ever gone this far in the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
It's such an exciting time to be a Timberwolves fan. Julius Randle has been having the best playoffs of his life, and Minnesota's role players are all rallying together to play some of the best basketball of their season. Peaking at the right time, as some would call it.
But there's no question that when we talk about this team and its success, the conversation has to have a major emphasis on Anthony Edwards. The Wolves' franchise player is doing exactly what he should be doing and playing his best at just the right time. His top-notch play and the way he is elevating his team make those Kevin Garnett debates all the more real.
There may soon be a new greatest player in Timberwolves history
Of course, those who are long-time Wolves fans may feel it hard for Edwards to be eclipsing number 21 so quickly. After all, it is only Edwards' fifth season in the league. But although it will take Ant a while to catch up to a lot of Garnett's statistical totals, his body of work speaks for itself.
A lot of what goes into all-time player rankings in a franchise's history is always going to involve team success. Garnett, while a spectacular individual talent, is widely seen as the greatest player in Minnesota's history largely because of how (prior to last season) he had led the Wolves to their only conference finals appearance in franchise history, on top of their most successful stretch of seasons by far.
Well, if we're not already there, we're certainly very close to the current era becoming the most prosperous time in Timberwolves history. In fact, I'd argue it's already pretty definitive. Minnesota has now been to the playoffs in four consecutive seasons, winning 19 total playoff games.
That success falls squarely on the shoulders of Anthony Edwards. The Wolves have become one of the most consistent powers in the Western Conference under his leadership, and the debates concerning he and Kevin Garnett are starting to become very real, and very warranted.