2020 NBA Re-Draft: Tyrese Haliburton vs. Anthony Edwards vs. LaMelo Ball, Who Ya Got? | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Originally Picked 1st

There probably wasn't much suspense here.

Haliburton is dramatically (almost overwhelmingly) better than Anthony Edwards statistically. Playmaking, efficiency and catch-all numbers all aggressively nod to the point guard.

But Edwards is one of the best pure athletes in the NBA. He's listed an inch shorter than Haliburton, but he's 40 pounds heavier and a dynamic above-the-rim finisher.

He's starting to show flashes of high-end perimeter defensive ability.

And as a secondary playmaker, his 4.6 assists per game since the start of 2022-23 are plenty.

What really sets the Timberwolves star apart from Haliburton, though, may be his potential place in NBA history.

Look back through the years and identify all the teams that were led to championships by average-sized point guards as the undisputed team alpha. Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors and Isiah Thomas' Detroit Pistons are the only ones in the three-point era (which started in 1979-80).

The list of elite wings and jumbo guards (LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Julius Erving) to lead the charge to a title is a lot longer.

Edwards won't necessarily add his name to that group, but he's inspired at least a little confidence in that possibility with career playoff averages of 28.1 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 threes, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.