Timberwolves: Can Anthony Edwards take leap into superstardom?

Anthony Edwards is entering his third year for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and we’ve seen many NBA players take that superstardom leap in year three. NBA legend Michael Jordan truly arrived as maybe the most dominant player in the league after his sophomore season averaging 37.1 points per game (PPG).

Before the 2010-11 season began, then Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose stood at the podium in front of dozens of media members and asked “Why can’t I win MVP?” He did just that in his third season. Miami Heat legend and Utah Jazz minority owner Dwyane Wade (who Anthony Edwards’ game often gets compared to) broke through in his third season winning Finals MVP, averaging close to 35 PPG.

Can Anthony Edwards do what some of the greats that came before him did and take that step into superstardom in year three? With his physical gifts, defined skill set, mentality, and defensive potential, Edwards may not be a star in the making but a star at this moment.

The Timberwolves feel that they have the trio of stars to get them to an NBA Championship team. They feel that Karl-Anthony Towns is the first piece. They expect Anthony Edwards to grow into the second piece. And finally, they have traded a lot of assets to acquire Rudy Gobert, who they feel is the third piece.

A lot of pieces are falling into place for the Timberwolves right now.

Physical Traits

Anthony Edwards is built like a football player (not height-wise) at 6-foot-4 225-pounds. His broad stocky shoulders give him a brute strength advantage compared to most players that guard him. He uses this strength to attack defenders as they cannot knock him off his path when attacking the basket. When you combine his physical strength with his insane leaping ability, you have a problem.

Edwards is a different type of leaper with a reported 41-inch vertical (league average is 28 inches). With an off-the-charts bounce and a super long wingspan (6’10),  Edwards boasts a high success rate on highlight reel poster dunks. He can dunk right through defenders or over the top of them.

No one can forget when Edwards pummeled Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent in late November last season. The dunk was ultimately called a charge, but the play was a wake-up call to the rest of the league; stop jumping with this guy! (or trying to draw charges against him).

His true breakout highlight reel moment came against the Toronto Raptors a few days after Valentine’s Day in 2021 when he went face-to-face at the rim with Yuta Watanabe. This was arguably one of the greatest dunks in league history. Edwards maximizes his hurdle-like jumping ability with blazing speed.

Edwards has one of the best first steps. It’s so quick and as soon as defenders bite on a jap step, he’s blowing by them to get straight to his spots. Edwards is great at attacking a defender’s top foot and folding them like a pretzel when they try to predict his moves. With a running back build an electric bounce, Anthony Edwards is a freak of nature athletically, but the 20-year-old potential scoring champ has so much more to offer with his overall skillset.

Defined Skillset

It’s not every day a player as athletic as Anthony Edwards matches that with polished moves and pull-up jumpers. The tween-tween (back and forth between the legs dribble move) is his go-to move. It sets up two of his favorite tendencies: a blow-by straight to the rim or a pull-up three-point attempt. The percentages on the floor might suggest that Edwards is a below-average shooter/finisher, but we must account for difficulty.

Edwards takes extremely difficult shots. He’s incorporated the Harden double step-back move into his game, which takes a lot of skill. The more skill a move requires, the more difficult the move is more times than not. He makes those Harden-like three-point attempts but cold stretches drag down his percentage.

He has a nice handle with the ball and doesn’t have to rely on his freakish athleticism. His in-and-out dribble move is effective as he also uses that to get to his spots. He shows off his defined skillset with counter moves off his in-and-out dribble, and he leaves defenders in the dust with in-and-out crosses.

He challenges every rim protector at the basket and makes a lot of difficult shots at the rim. These tough layup and dunk attempts over seven-footers add up and blemish his percentages as he shot 63 percent at the rim, per Cleaning The Glass. Ranking in the 49th percentile amongst wings.

Edwards will take that leap into superstardom by finishing those tougher attempts, and turning them into more efficient shots will be key in speeding up the process. He relentlessly attacks any rim protector because of his “best player in the world mentality.”

Mentality

Even in this video here, Edwards lacks no confidence. He truly believes he’s the best at everything he puts his mind to. That type of mentality propelled him to the level he’s at now. True belief in yourself can be the difference between a good and an underwhelming career. Especially in a sport like NBA basketball, where it is a mental game as much as it is a physical game.

With Edwards’ mentality, it’s safe to assume he’s okay taking pressure shots. No doubt he is comfortable taking shots that make or break the season, and superstar franchise-changing players need to think like this.

Coming off a playoff series against Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzles that saw Edwards average 25 PPG and shoot 40 percent on about 10 three-point attempts, Edwards might be the go-to Timberwolves scorer next season. Timberwolves All-NBA (now power forward) Karl Anthony-Towns (KAT) shot 13 field goal attempts per game in the playoffs compared to Edwards’ 18 per game.

Did the pecking order get established, or were the Grizzles just a tougher matchup for KAT? Edwards needs to be the outright top scorer/shot-taker on the team and improve his overall defense to take that next step into superstardom.

Defensive improvements

Edwards has taken strides as an on-ball defender. Using all his physical traits to his advantage, when Edwards is locked in he can be a pest on the ball. He has a tendency to jump passing lanes and go for steals (he’s a monster in transition so sometimes this pays off). These habits cause him to get beat back door on occasion. Tightening up on staying disciplined will help the team defensively.

Edwards never backs down from a challenge as he’s held his own while matched up with superstar talents. According to NBA.com tracking data, Ja Morant shot 10-26 (38%) while Anthony Edwards was his primary defender in their playoff matchup. Edwards has openly stated that he feels like he’s a great defender.

Edwards is a good on-ball defender when he’s totally engaged. If he can limit those passing lane steal attempts or attempt them when it’s almost certain he can get a steal, he has the potential to be more than a plus defender. With all-time great rim protector Rudy Gobert on the roster, Edwards can apply more ball pressure because he has someone behind him who can clean up any mistake.

Edwards is a young star blossoming right before our eyes. He’s improved from year one to year two. There’s no telling what year three has in store for the career 20 PPG Atlanta native.