Despite Stellar Season, Anthony Edwards Finishes 2nd In Rookie Of The Year Voting

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Despite three straight Rookie of the Month awards to close out the season, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards fell short in Rookie of the Year voting.

The honor instead went to Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball, the NBA announced Wednesday. Ball earned 84 first-place votes to Edwards' 15 from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

The 19-year-old Edwards finished second place in the voting overall.

On the season, Ball averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals a game. His points average was second only to Edwards' 19.3, which was the highest ever for a Wolves rookie.

Edwards' inaugural season was marked by many similar achievements. He was the youngest player in NBA history to hit 150 threes and the fifth-youngest ever to reach 1,000 points.

He had two 40-plus point games, making him the second player 19 and under to have multiple such games, after LeBron James.

He also tied the Timberwolves' record for most three-pointers in a game by a rookie, with eight.

Edwards also played in all 72 of the Timberwolves' games, while Ball missed 21 games with a wrist injury.

In an odd bit of coincidence, Ball started the season with three straight Rookie of the Month awards. Both players were named to the 2021 NBA Rising Stars team.

Edwards' teammate Karl-Anthony Towns won Rookie of the Year for the 2015-2016 season.

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