Former Team USA teammate Anthony Edwards feels slighted that LeBron James didn't join him in Minnesota.
LeBron James knew that when he joined the Philadelphia 76ers, there would be plenty of fans, and people around the world would have something to say, but who would've thought one of them would be Anthony Edwards?
Edwards appears on a skit for Minnesota and blasts James for passing up the chance to play with Edwards and Lamelo Ball. Edwards made the joke that James’ knees couldn’t handle the cold, and that’s what played into the 41-year-old's decision. While it was a joke, it’s hard to see how James would fit in Minnesota as compared to Philadelphia.
Minnesota has a strong frontcourt, and then there’s nothing there. While it could be great for an offensive run, you may be hard pressed to see what would happen on the defensive end. It’s just too unbalanced to believe this team is a title contender.
That’s what James is looking for, as many are realizing he’s going to be calling it a career soon. Philadelphia gives James the best opportunity at that. Notice how the word “title contender” is used here; Minnesota is nowhere near that. When they were running hot in the playoffs the last two years, they did it with ferocious defense and highlighted offense. They lost the majority of that in their acquisition of Ball.
Philadelphia has players who know how to win and play defense. Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe will be key examples of that. Not only that but their centers are vastly different. James is used to playing with a center that gets his own, and Gobert can do no such thing.
If James wanted to play with a team that was all offense with a glimpse of defense, he could have stayed in Los Angeles with the Lakers. The talented youth that resides in Philadelphia is unmatched. This team is not only built for a title, but it’s built for the future. Labaron Philon Jr, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown will all be here for at least three years. This gives James the notion that if he wanted to return, he won’t be coming back to rebuild. The same thing can’t really be said about the Timberwolves.
Minnesota hasn’t shown it has what it takes to win the big one. It doesn’t help that they have two ball-dominant players that have never played without the ball in their hands. Even though Philadelphia has ball-dominant players themselves, they have had to share the ball with other all-stars, a glaring difference.
James made the right decision; if he were to end up in Minnesota, it’d be filled with nothing but disappointment.
