A revolving door of players has come and went in the Minnesota Timberwolves system throughout the past quarter of a century. But, it seems like they have just found the core that kicked off their golden era. Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, and Anthony Edwards have only been on five NBA Playoffs runs together but they seem to be a big hit. When asked, assistant coach Chris Hine was reminded of Marvel’s X-Men when assessing this squad and its potential.
What makes Edwards’ Timberwolves like the X-Men?
For starters, a lot of growth was necessary for the Timberwolves to make deep runs in the NBA Playoffs. Naz Reid had to become a versatile big man with unexpected skill sets just like Hank McCoy, also known as The Beast. Jaden McDaniels, on the other hand, is always the composed secret weapon waiting to explode when the X-Men need him, just like Bobby Drake or ‘The Iceman’. Anthony Edwards used to have his emotions run all over the place but eventually got better at being a leader — this sounds a lot like Cyclops or Scott Summers.
Coach Chris Hine saw all of them become great heroes for the Timberwolves whether it was in the regular season or the NBA Playoffs. He made that comparison to the X-Men very clear while using his vantage point as a player development coach for these three, via Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
“All of these dudes have been underdogs. All of them. I look at them almost like X-Men figures. These dudes have superpowers that really light up when they try to win together. All these dudes have gone through the turmoil of, ‘Are you really that good?’ And if you’re that good, can you show it and prove it?,” the Timberwolves coach said.
More than just being a team, the Timberwolves and X-Men do share a big trait. One of Marvel’s biggest squads is also a family outside of the battlefield and licked their wounds to get ready for the next. Reid noted how much this squad has been developing like a lifelong bond off the court too.
“It’s been amazing. It’s a brotherhood. We’ve grown to love each other outside of basketball. It’s rare to be in this situation,” the Timberwolves big man declared.
These NBA Playoffs games against the Denver Nuggets will be a big challenge for Reid, Edwards, and McDaniels. But, the Timberwolves know that already and nothing will stop them from getting the franchises’ first Larry O’Brien trophy. Just like what Professor X proclaimed in God Loves, Man Kills, “I cannot desert them. If they are willing to give my dream a chance, then so am I.”
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