Heading into the season, Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards was viewed as a dark-horse MVP candidate. At the very least, it felt like Ant-Man would earn his first-ever All-NBA First Team nod -- an honor he's narrowly missed out on during the past two seasons. By all accounts, Edwards is having the best season of his career, averaging 29.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while becoming one of the league's best clutch time players.
However, there's still a very real chance that Edwards finds himself on All-NBA Second Team again (assuming he clears the games played threshold). And it won't be because the media is out to get him, it will be because his defensive impact has been nonexistent this season.
Entering the home stretch of the NBA season, award conversations are starting to heat up. Recently, Tim Bontemps of ESPN released his NBA MVP straw poll, which surveyed 100 media members. Edwards found himself 11th in this straw poll.
The 10 players ahead of him are: Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brunson, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham, Nikola Jokic, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Ant needs to dial up his defense to earn All-NBA First Team honors
Listen, I would have Ant higher, but there's no denying that Edwards' defense hurts his All-NBA First Team (and MVP) candidacy. The 65-game rule jeopardizes the chances of key players, including Jokic, Doncic, and Wembanyama. As such, Edwards has a clearer path to earning an All-NBA First Team spot.
Nevertheless, his defensive intensity must improve for him to get this honor, and this straw poll proves that people are taking note of this.
Edwards has all the tools to be an elite two-way player, but he hasn't been able to put it together throughout the regular season, especially off the ball. He has poor habits, including ball watching, and is often late to make rotations. Defensive consistency has been a key problem throughout Edwards' career, but it's never been more evident than this season.
Notably, per Cleaning the Glass, the Wolves' defense is 7.7 points per 100 possessions worse with Ant on the floor. Furthermore, he ranks in the 27th percentile for help defense and the 32nd percentile for ball screen navigation per Basketball Index.
Without a doubt, Edwards' offensive greatness is the primary reason the Wolves are even a top-six seed. However, his frequent defensive lapses have also held the Wolves back from separating themselves as a clear top-three team in the West.
A lot can change between now and the end of the season. I'm certainly not ruling out Edwards earning an All-NBA First Team spot. However, to accomplish this goal, Ant's defense must improve, or voters will (rightfully) hold this against him. Thankfully, Edwards has all the abilities to change this problem and lead the Wolves to a late-season surge.