A reminder of just how special Minnesota Timberwolves Anthony Edwards truly is

The ability to elevate the play of his teammates

The toughest role for any young NBA player is the role of a facilitator. It’s not because young players cannot do it. But the fine line between taking over a game and setting up teammates to flourish in games is such a difficult path. Younger players either try to do too much themselves, which allows opponents to collapse defenses on one player, or try to involve teammates too often, which allows opponents to ignore that player and hold their ground.

The right balance between driving to the basket and taking the layup or passing to the open shooter is instinctive, an almost genetically-ingrained ability to know when to drive or when to pass. And right now, Anthony Edwards is showing the ability to walk that high wire:

Learning to be a pro on and off the court? What does that mean?

Not just a Popeye’s Chicken player any longer

There was a time in Anthony Edwards’ career when the biggest concern was getting him off his steady diet of Popeye’s Chicken. And that was a hot topic earlier in the season. But now, the biggest news about Ant-Man is how effective he was in the Timberwolves’ undermanned victory against the Thunder.

Edward’s ability to facilitate was on clear display in the latest win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. What do I mean?

Naz Reid:                  28 pts / 9 rebs / 3 asts / 2 stls / 3-5 3pts
Anthony Edwards: 19 pts / 11 rebs / 7 asts / 8-16 FG / 2-3 3pts
Austin Rivers:          20 pts / 5 stls / 6-7  FG / 4-5 3pts

In the end, Anthony Edwards was neither the top scorer nor the runner-up scorer in the game. But he was the most effective player on the court for the Minnesota Timberwolves in this one, and it was his ability to lure the Oklahoma City Thunder to focus on him that freed up his teammates to step up in such a big way.

Purge this roster and rebuild around Anthony Edwards? It’s not really necessary. The maturation and growth of Anthony Edwards will grow him into a team leader someday. Blowing up this team and handing the keys of whatever is left over to Edwards is, at a minimum, counterproductive. Rushing headlong into something that impactful could prove to be a huge mistake, just as the risks of acquiring Rudy Gobert have been complicated by the rush to do the deal.

Patience is a better path. Let’s let Anthony Edwards grow into a leadership role at his own natural pace. In the meantime, kick back and enjoy the show. Edwards is not going anywhere. But he is growing noticeably, a process that continues to be fun to watch.