CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers will pay a visit to Minneapolis on Wednesday to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on the night before Thanksgiving. It will be the second night of a back-to-back and it will be a tougher matchup than maybe some initially expected when the schedule was released.
The Timberwolves are 10-3 after a win over the New York Knicks on Monday and they are No. 1 in the NBA in defensive rating. The combination of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns has become a bigger threat. They have a more than solid point guard, Mike Conley, and a budding superstar, Anthony Edwards.
Edwards is averaging 25.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists to begin the season. Sixers guard Patrick Beverley, who played with Edwards and the Timberwolves in the 2021-22 season, has been impressed with what he has seen from the young guard.
“I told everybody in the beginning the boy has a chance to be Michael Jordan, but people looked at me like I was crazy,” Beverley said. “Now all of the ESPN analysts and GMs are all kinda saying the same thing so I’ve always said that.”
Beverley said on an episode of “The Old Man and the Three” with JJ Redick that he believes Edwards has a chance to be on the same level as Jordan. Initially, it was a wild claim, but at this moment, it looks like Beverley is on to something.
The rest of the Timberwolves have been playing really well, which Beverley and the Sixers need to prepare for.
“Camaraderie,” Beverley said of Minnesota’s success. “Obviously, you make a huge trade like that, get a guy like Rudy in with Karl, spacing’s kinda hard. You gotta give the coaching staff, coach (Chris) Finch a lot of credit. He probably worked his ass off this summer to get that spacing right and just camaraderie. Most of those guys are four, five years in, Mike Conley second year in so just camaraderie.”
Before the Timberwolves, the Sixers have to take care of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday at home.
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