Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Anthony Edwards are three of the most talented young guards in the NBA, and the next batch of rookies have their opinions.
As the NBA shifts away from LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry, the next faces of the league are ready to take the throne. Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg are two of the frontrunners, but neither of them have hit their prime yet.
Elite guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Luka Doncic are all established All-Stars at this point, and Doncic and SGA are both scoring champions. While Edwards hasn’t reached that peak yet, he is one of the flashiest and exciting players in the league.
While Doncic is the best passer, SGA is the best shooter, and Edwards is the best highlight creator, the league’s upcoming rookies gave their insights as to who they think is the most talented.
Photo by David Berding/Getty ImagesAnthony Edwards is the next face of the league
Most fans would say that SGA and Doncic are both top-five players in the world when fully healthy. Edwards is definitely in the top ten, and his breakout shooting season has only upped his stock.
Edwards has had his fair share of viral moments, barking at all-time great players, and is almost always going viral. His Minnesota Timberwolves supplanted both the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors in the postseason, and last year he sent MVP Nikola Jokic packing.
While Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander have finished ahead of Edwards in MVP voting, a simple game of Start, Bench, Cut revealed who is seen as the best player
“Start Ant, bench SGA, cut Luka,” said Ace Bailey.
Other top prospects Jeremiah Fears, Jase Richardson, and Walter Clayton Jr. all agreed, with only Dylan Harper straying from the norm.
“Starting Shai, MVP,” said Harper. “I feel like if I bench Luka, that’s disrespectful, but I like how Ant’s been playing recently, so I’m going with recent bias and I’m going to bench Ant and cut Luka because he doesn’t really play on defense.”
At the Draft Combine, Harper compared himself to James Harden, Cade Cunningham, and SGA, so it makes sense that he would have a soft spot for the MVP favorite.
Edwards has taken over
The face of the NBA is not always the best player in the world. Granted, LeBron James long was, and Stephen Curry can make a case, but players like Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Patrick Ewing, Dominique Wilkins, and Dwayne Wade were rarely, if ever, the best player in the world at any given moment, but they were marketed like they were.
Edwards is not the best young player, he is not even the best young guard, but his viral moments, quotable jabs, and highlight dunks simply garner more attention than SGA routinely scoring 35 points or Doncic threading the needle with a pass.
The “face of the league” is different than the best player or MVP, although when building a team like the draft picks were asked to, marketability and “swagger” are hard to ignore, which Edwards has in spades.
On top of that, Edwards is poised to be the face of Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, which will only help him build his case whether he likes it or not.