As the Cleveland Cavaliers prepare to do battle with the Minnesota Timberwolves, a look at two of the best shooting guards in the league will be had. Of course, the supporting casts appear to be just a little bit different, but each leads their respective team.
The 3-0 Timberwolves have played incredible basketball so far, and are one of five teams in the Western Conference to open their season with a 3-0 record. They just last night put the clamps on Scottie Barnes and held him without a single point.
Let’s dive back into that marquee matchup, highlighting Donovan Mitchell, and Anthony Edwards.
Elite Shooting Guard vs. Elite Shooting Guard
There was once a time when the Cavs hoped to land the number one pick to earn the right to draft Anthony Edwards. They wound up selecting #5 and landed Isaac Okoro. Minnesota won the draft lottery for the second time in a six-year span, taking home the prized top guy out of the University of Georgia.
It’s been special to see that Edwards has gotten better with every passing season. And he opened the 2026-27 campaign with a 45-point, 10-rebound effort against the Heat. He had 28 points in 28 minutes during the blowout win last night. And able to do it on both ends, he’ll likely be guarding Donovan Mitchell out there.
For Mitchell, he’s going to need to continue to be aggressive offensively. He is averaging 27 points per game through two contests and hitting more than 50% of his shots, it’s felt like he is far from his best. Whether it’s the late-game struggles, or the fact that he has more turnovers than assists.
When players have the ball in their hands that much, the facilitation is going to have to be cleaner. Especially on a night where you are going up against arguably the only better player at your position in the entire association. It’s been a longstanding discussion about who the best at the spot is, and there are certainly arguments to be made for each.
Mitchell has played like an MVP at times in his Cleveland tenure. Edwards has done the same on the other end, putting up some incredible performances during his time. How #45 does on the defensive end in this one could go a long way in determining the victor.
And The Edge Goes To…
Both Donovan Mitchell and Anthony Edwards will be locked in on this one. Despite being on the tail-end of a back-to-back, the Wolves should still be well-rested enough. The blowout win over Toronto last night enabled a number of their guys to not have to be overworked.
The Cavs had yesterday to think about the blown lead against Brooklyn. Now they have to turn a new leaf to a tough stretch, featuring three games in four days. After Minnesota, they’ll host Washington on Wednesday, then go to Atlanta on Thursday. Not easy.
Edwards probably has the advantage in the matchup, but how Mitchell plays will ultimately determine the victor in the ball-game. If #45 can find the rhythm throughout the game and deliver a big night, the Cavs could show that the first two games were not the trend, but perhaps something of an unfortunate fluke.
Mitchell talked right before the season about how happy he was in Cleveland. So now, it's time to let the play do the talking.
7:00 PM ET tipoff tonight.
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