This year’s All-NBA teams were released on Friday. Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards found himself on the second team, but did he deserve a first-team selection over Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell?
The first team included Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum, all of whom undoubtedly deserved the honor. Mitchell’s Cavaliers had the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference, but there wasn’t much else that he statistically did better than Edwards this season.
Edwards averaged more points, rebounds and blocks per game, while Mitchell averaged more assists and steals. What’s even more damning is Edwards had the advantage in almost every efficiency stat; having a better field goal percentage, three-point percentage, free throw percentage, effective field goal percentage, box plus/minus (BPM) and value over replacement player (VORP).
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Edwards is on the second team for the second straight year. This season has come alongside Evan Mobley, Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Jalen Brunson. It’s a regular-season award, and Cleveland had a dominant regular season, but the fact that Edwards and the Wolves are still playing while Mitchell is at home adds to the argument that Minnesota’s star might’ve been snubbed.
Cleveland had 15 more wins than Minnesota in the regular season, which helps give Mitchell a leg up in any close arguments, but is this one really even close?
Edwards received the sixth most total points in the voting process, but he received 50 fewer first-team votes than Mitchell. He received 11 first-team votes, 87 for the second team and two for the third team. James has the sixth most first-team votes with 17. Edwards will look for his first selection on the first-team All-NBA next season, after he turns 24 this August.
