Former Blazers Star Rasheed Wallace Says Anthony Edwards Isn't Better Than 90s Role Player

Is this a cheap shot or does he make a salient contention?

Aug 10, 2024; Paris, France; United States guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts against France in the second half in the men's basketball gold medal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Former Portland Trail Blazers All-Star Rasheed Wallace has weighed in on the abilities of current Minnesota Timberwolves All-NBA shooting guard Anthony Edwards, who recently dissed basically every non-Michael Jordan player during the Hall of Fame Chicago Bulls swingman's era in the 1980s and 1990s, claiming that the others were relatively unskilled.

"At this point in his career, in my opinion, he's not better than a Derrick McKey," Wallace claimed. "He's not better than a Grant Hill. He's not better than a Scottie Pippen... I'm just trying to just name... a few wingmen from that '90s era. But again, I'm talking both sides of the ball now. Derrick McKey was a defender."

During a new episode of his podcast "Sheed & Tyler," Wallace relayed to former Blazers teammate Bonzi Wells that he doesn't consider the current iteration of Edwards as being better than a '90s role player. McKey, a 6-foot-10 combo forward, was a two-time All-Defensive Second Teamer while with the Indiana Pacers in 1996 and 1996. He also suited up for the Seattle SuperSonics and Philadelphia 76ers during a lengthy career from 1987-2002. Unlike Edwards, McKey never made an All-Star team, let alone an All-NBA team.

The criticism that Edwards is not at the level of Pippen or Hill is fair. Both those players, now Hall of Famers, were transcendent two-way players and seven-time All-Stars during extended careers. Hill's prime was ended abruptly by a series of injuries incurred while he was with the Orlando Magic, but he evolved into a solid 3-and-D role player during his NBA dotage. Pippen was the second-best player, behind Jordan, on six NBA championship teams during a legendary eight-year run. As a seasoned veteran, Pippen eventually helped lead the Wallace-era Trail Blazers to the brink of an NBA Finals return in 2000. The club infamously fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, after enjoying a 15-point fourth quarter edge in Game 7.

Edwards remains an intriguing player, though he is not defensively at the level of any of the three aforementioned players in their primes. Still just 23, the 6-foot-4 Georgia product is already a two-time All-Star and All-NBA Second Teamer, and just led Minnesota to a 56-26 record and its first Western Conference Finals appearance in 20 years. He's clearly well on his way to being a possible all-timer, health permitting. Whether he ever reaches the levels of Hill or Pippen is a fair question, however. But he seems likely to eclipse McKey, if he hasn't already.

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