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Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Cities mentioned he had time to chase stats however was completed with that.
However he nonetheless acknowledges the numbers teammate Anthony Edwards – the No. 1 choose in final 12 months’s draft and a Rookie of the 12 months candidate – is posting.
Cities, through Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic:
“I’ve mentioned it since Day 1, we made the best choose,” mentioned Cities, who had 27 factors, six rebounds and 4 assists. “I don’t assume there’s any query. I don’t need it to be missed. I don’t need it to be appeared over. There’s a cause he was double-teamed. They need to double-team him. No different rookie has earned that respect on this league. So if you go and also you write your tales and your narratives and also you write the reality you all write, make sure that it’s the best one. That’s what journalism is all about. It’s writing the reality.”
Whereas Edwards needed to diffuse the Butler-KAT dialog, Cities circled again in an effort to be sure that it didn’t overshadow what he believed was a very powerful message: that Edwards is approaching down the stretch like a freight practice and that Ball’s return to the Hornets lineup mustn’t, in his eyes, distract from that.
“There ain’t no different rookie on this league getting double-teamed. There ain’t no different rookie placing up the numbers Ant is. There ain’t no different rookie inflicting the havoc and mayhem earlier than the sport even begins with the scouting reviews like Anthony is,” Cities mentioned. “However I don’t wish to hear nothing about no different people who find themselves rookies. I don’t wish to hear that. I don’t go by hype, I am going by stats.”
By stats, Cities might be referring to Edwards’ rookie-high 19.0 factors per recreation.
However another stats (all coming into Sunday):
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Edwards is taking pictures simply 48% on 2-pointers and 33% on 3-pointers. His efficient field-goal proportion (48%) ranks 118th amongst 126 certified gamers.
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He’s averaging 2.8 assists per recreation and a pair of.3 turnovers per recreation. Amongst non-bigs averaging so many turnovers per recreation, solely Pistons ahead Josh Jackson is averaging fewer assists per recreation than Edwards.
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Edwards’ defensive estimated plus-minus (-1.2) ranks within the twenty third percentile.
Total, Edwards has been an inefficient participant with holes in his recreation this season. Hornets rookie LaMelo Ball and Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton have extra reliably contributed to profitable when on the court docket than Edwards, who had an particularly tough begin. Edwards’ benefit is quantity, having stayed wholesome and performed a serious function.
Edwards has additionally improved immensely all year long. He’s surging to the end. His athleticism and infectious persona reveal a star upside. Although his tough begin components considerably into Rookie of the 12 months consideration, it is not going to stop him from succeeding all through his much-longer profession. Most rookies undergo comparable struggles and a few grow to be wonderful gamers.
It’s good Cities is so vehemently supporting his teammate.
However probably the most correct reward of Edwards is for his long-term potential, not his Rookie of the 12 months candidacy.
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Karl-Anthony Cities endorses Anthony Edwards for Rookie of the 12 months: ‘I don’t go by hype. I am going by stats’ initially appeared on NBCSports.com
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