Anthony Edwards Making Late Push for Rookie of the Year

The NBA’s Rookie of the Year race has been Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and everyone else, but it’s hard not to get excited about the numbers Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards has been putting up lately. 

Edwards exploded for 42 points on Wednesday night. but it wasn’t just the points that got the eye emoji. The No. 1 overall pick shot 17-for-22 from the field and 8-of-9 from 3-point range to match his career high. That has led to some movement in the Rookie of the Year player prop odds.

Ball was -5000 to win the award on Tuesday, but dropped all the way down to -1200 on WynnBET after Edwards' big game. Edwards remains a distant second in the odds at +150 ($100 to win $150), but that is better than the +160 he was earlier in the day. Vegas still favors Ball, but it’s hard to ignore Edwards after his masterpiece last night.

The Timberwolves aren't winning as much as Ball and the Hornets, but it's impossible to overlook Edwards' recent hot streak. Over his past 18 games, Edwards is averaging 23.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. Those numbers are all significant increases on his season averages of 18.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 41.0 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from deep. 

Ball was better than Edwards at the onset of the 2020-21 season, but he also missed 21 games in the middle of the year due to a wrist injury. Since returning, Ball is averaging 16 points, 6.3 assists and 6.6 rebounds on 42.5 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep. Those numbers align with his season averages, which is why he remains the favorite to win ROY.

Meanwhile, Edwards has set or tied his career-high in points three times since March 14. He’s also been a human highlight reel all season with posterizing dunk after posterizing dunk.

Did Ball have the Rookie of the Year sewn up before he went down? Vegas thinks so, but Edwards’ recent play says otherwise. It’s intriguing to look at how Joel Embiid’s absence led to him falling behind Nikola Jokic in the league’s MVP race, but Edwards hasn’t gained nearly as much ground on Ball for Rookie of the Year. 

Sure, they are completely different awards, but if Edwards finishes the season averaging nearly 20.0 points per game, this shouldn’t be as cut and dry as Vegas has it.

It’s a long shot that the No. 1 overall pick takes home the hardware, but he’s given Timberwolves fans a whole lot to cheer about the past few months and even more to look forward to in the future.