National Basketball Association

Is Anthony Edwards the next Dwyane Wade?

Published Apr. 26, 2022 11:39 a.m. ET

The Western Conference series between the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves is chock-full of young talent.

The squads possess the two youngest rosters in the entire postseason, and each features one of the best young showstoppers in all of basketball: Anthony Edwards and Ja Morant.

But while the latter is the undisputed centerpiece of Memphis, and is viewed by many as the superior talent, Colin Cowherd said Monday that he'd take "Ant Man" over Ja for his hypothetical franchise.

"Both are going to be Hall of Famers if they stay healthy," Cowherd said on "The Herd."

"They're both great kids, totally into basketball, totally into winning. Fun, exciting, their games are made from highlights. They're going to be half-billion-dollar players.

But for Cowherd, Edwards' projection mirrors the trajectory of soon-to-be Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade.

"His comparison is Dwyane Wade. Wade's prime was 10-11 years. He was a 13-time All-Star. Now, Ant has some advantages over D-Wade. He's a better shooter. Translation: He won't drive to the rim as much and have collisions with bigger bodies. Secondly, he came into the NBA one year earlier. Third, nutrition and training standards are much higher today than 20 years ago when Dwyane Wade walked into the league."

Cowherd continued, comparing Morant to two other great talents that played in Wade's era and are still playing today.

"Ja Morant is an inch shorter and 50 pounds lighter. His comp is Derrick Rose and John Wall. Combined, they made eight All-Star teams. Both injured early. I don't think he's miles different than Derrick Rose. When I look at both, they could be the next great stars.

"With Ja, I see a little Odell Beckham Jr. When he's spectacular, it's the talk of the internet. Edwards, I see more Mike Evans. It won't be the talk as often, he won't control the ball as much, he'll play off-ball more. But that is a 16-year NBA career, and 14 All-Star games."

Ja Morant vs. Anthony Edwards, Colin decides who'll be the bigger NBA star

The series is tied up between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves, and while Ja Morant may have gone into the series with higher expectations, Colin Cowherd says its Anthony Edwards who will be the bigger NBA star.

Wade and Edwards' numbers through Year 2 are certainly comparable.

Wade averaged 20.6 PPG, 5.8 APG, 4.7 RPG and 1.5 steals per game on 473/.296/.758 shooting splits in his second season, while Edwards posted 20.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.4 APG and 1.3 steals. He had splits of .429/.344/.781.

Through 27 playoff games in his first two years, Wade registered 22.9 PPG, 6.1 APG, 4.9 RPG and 1.4 steals, while Edwards has 24.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, and 1.3 steals through four playoff game appearances.

Wade was much more effective from an analytics standpoint, as he finished his first two years with a 20.8 PER, .550 TS%, 28.5 AST%, 8.9 offensive win shares, and 6.6 defensive win shares. Edwards currently holds a 15.2 PER, .542 TS%, 16.1 AST%, 3.8 defensive win shares and 1.3 offensive win shares.

Edwards has much to prove to live up to Cowherd's billing.

But so far, he's had no smudges on his résumé.