Looking back at his draft class, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards believes his team made the right choice with the No. 1 overall pick. Beyond that, Edwards would switch some things up, looking back at that November 18 night in 2020.
Putting together his own quick re-draft of the Edwards-led class, the former Georgia star believes that LaMelo Ball should see a slight bump, going from third-overall to second. Then, Tyrese Maxey gets a major boost, as Edwards notes he should’ve gone third-overall.
At the time, the Golden State Warriors took a gamble on the Memphis center James Wiseman. With Ball falling to third, the Charlotte Hornets brought on the American guard, who was entering the NBA after a run in Australia.
Edwards suggests the Hornets should’ve been in a position to land Maxey. However, the former Kentucky guard fell far that night. The Sixers went on the clock at No. 21 overall. At the time, Maxey was viewed as a potential lottery pick, which helped the Sixers earn praise for getting good value deeper into the first round.
Clearly, Philly hit on Maxey. While he didn’t have a steady role in year one, Maxey was a full-time starter by the time he reached his sophomore year. After two seasons playing alongside All-Star point guards, Maxey developed into the Sixers’ primary ball-handler. He’s now a max-contracted All-Star.
Since becoming a full-time starter in Philly, Maxey has posted averages of 22 points, three rebounds, and five assists. He has knocked down 46 percent of his shots from the field and 39 percent of his threes.
After the third pick, Edwards suggests that Tyrese Haliburton should’ve ended up on the Chicago Bulls. Then, Jaden McDaniels for the Cleveland Cavaliers at five.
Haliburton was a player who fell just outside of the top 10. Coming out of Iowa State, the guard went to the Sacramento Kings as the third point guard to come off the board, following Ball and Killian Hayes. Haliburton has developed into an All-Star with the Indiana Pacers.
As for McDaniels, he went off the board at No. 28 overall. The former Washington forward landed with the Timberwolves. While he doesn’t have an All-Star nod like the rest of the players on Edwards’ list, McDaniels has been a solid two-way standout throughout his five-year stint with the Timberwolves.
