What does Anthony Edwards new focus mean for the Timberwolves?

Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards sounds like a completely different player already. Now, I’m not suggesting that there was something missing before. But suddenly, he’s paying much greater attention to all of the things that extend a professional athlete’s career.

There comes a point in every professional athlete’s life when they stop assuming that their athleticism will show up when they need it to, and at that moment, suddenly sports medicine becomes an important topic.  That moment appears to be now for Timberwolves Edwards.

While personal choices are hardly noteworthy, the maturity and athleticism of the Timberwolves’ best pure scorer are certainly worth mentioning and keeping on the radar. After all, Edwards’s production started hot and has been heating up even more since being drafted as the first overall player selected in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Big things coming for Ant-Man

His rookie season began with scoring 19.7 points per game (PPG), 4.7 rebounds per game (RPG), and 2.9 assists per game (APG), all the while shooting 41.7 percent from the floor and 32.9 percent from beyond the three-point line. But his second season improved across the board, scoring 21.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 3.8 APG while shooting 44.1 percent from the floor and a respectable 35.7 percent from three-point range.

So what does that all mean for Ant-Man this year?

It’s tough to speculate what a healthier, stronger, and more durable Anthony Edwards could become in terms of added production on the basketball court. But it very likely means that his third season in the NBA will be his best ever.

Will he crack the NBA’s Top-10 scorers this season? He could, as the threshold during the 2021-22 season was scoring better than 27.1 points per game. While that is certainly a lofty improvement over 21.3 PPG, I think it’s attainable.

His teammate, PF Karl-Anthony Towns, led the team with an average of 24.1 points per game at the end of the 2021-22 season. While I look for KAT to improve his scoring, I would not be the least bit shocked if Ant-Man overtakes him this season.

The Timberwolves will be looking for big things to come from Anthony Edwards this season. And the fact that he is focused on taking care of his body now is a good indication that he will deliver.