It's a player some would call exciting. But beyond that, Anthony Edwards has yet to steal his place among the NBA's elite. True, he was expected to be there, as is the case with all No. 1 draft picks like him, but while he does a lot of talking off the court, at least, unlike many others, his actions are along the same lines.
Last season, for example, he led his team to a somewhat forgotten accomplishment: the Minnesota Timberwolves became the first team in the West to string together two consecutive Western Conference Finals since the Warriors dynasty (five in a row from 2015-2019). Of course, it's easy to argue that those two Finals were lost, and that's probably being a bit short-sighted.
But to stay at a high level in the toughest of the two conferences is already a sign of a very high level. And now it's time to go for that NBA Finals that the Wolves have always been chasing. Kevin Garnett didn't make it, nor did Kevin Love or Karl-Anthony Towns. The path is clear for 'Ant-Man' to become the ultimate Minneapolis idol.
He's already great, now he has to become the best. And while the four ahead of him may seem a step above him right now, he has more than enough talent to join them. If he didn't make the top five in the MVP race, it would be a real disappointment. But if he failed to do at least as well as he did last season as a team, it would be proof that he's already reached his prime. And we think just the opposite...
2024/2025 stats: 27.6 points, 39.5% threes
Reasonable goal for 2025/2026: 30-point minimum, MVP candidate, leading scorer candidate
