Minnesota Timberwolves: Will Anthony Edwards be an All-Star this season?

Of all the talented players in the NBA 21 years old and younger, the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ Anthony Edwards is arguably the most exciting. Entering his third year as a pro, Ant is emerging as a budding star in this league.

He’s well-respected by his peers and widely recognized as having sky-high potential going forward. Edwards’ highlight-reel plays are enjoyed by basketball fans everywhere, not just by Timberwolves fans.

One of the next boxes Edwards will check off on his way to bona fide star status is becoming an NBA All-Star. It’s what will distinguish him among his peers and make it known to the world that the Ant Man has truly arrived. So can we expect to see Edwards make his first All-Star appearance this coming season?

Edwards Is A Unique Talent

If Edwards does make his first trip to All-Star weekend in 2022-23, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone. He was already playing at an All-Star level in 2022, averaging 21.3 points, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

While those numbers seem impressive on the surface, they don’t begin to scratch the surface of how special a player Anthony Edwards truly is. The definition of “built different,” Ant’s mentality is uncommon and his work ethic is strong. Never doubting his abilities, he’s gone on record saying that he would be the best player in the world no matter what sport he played.

It’s that confidence that helped him lead the Timberwolves back to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2018. When Edwards arrived in the postseason in just his second year in the league, he raised his play in a big way to give Minnesota a chance against Memphis in the first round.

Averaging 25.2 points and 40% shooting from three-point range in the playoffs, Ant proved he’s already a natural on the big stage. It’s this kind of showing that should raise our confidence in his likelihood of being an All-Star in 2023.

Ant Is Already On The Path To Greatness

Another major indicator that Edwards will continue his leap next season is the various records he’s already broken in his young career. After putting up video game numbers in his rookie season and winning Rookie of the Year, he somehow got better in year two. So it’s not unreasonable to think he can do it again.

In his first pro season, not only did he score more points than any Timberwolves rookie in franchise history, but he also became the third-youngest player ever to score 40 points in a game.

Edwards followed up his record-breaking first year with an equally amazing sophomore campaign, in which he proved to be one of the deadliest three-point shooters in the league.

Ant set the Timberwolves franchise record with 10 made threes against the Denver Nuggets in December 2021, becoming the youngest player of all-time to make 10 threes in a game.

And in his first playoff game, he put up 36 points, giving him the third-highest scoring game in a playoff debut ever. We’re all aware of Edwards’ greatness at this point, and anyone who is paying attention has known he’s a special player from day one.

It’s a mere formality for him to be named an All-Star next season, since he’s already playing at such a high level. With that being said, he absolutely should get the nod in 2023, and it can be celebrated as the next of many great milestones in his career.