Anthony Edwards is just 24 years old. Sometimes, it can be hard to remember that. Now in his sixth season, it took him just three, maybe four years to make that jump into superstardom.
Since being selected first overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, Ant-Man has showcased a gift that allows him to put the ball in the hoop better than nearly anyone. If he’s not the best scorer in the league already, Edwards has at the very least put his name into that debate.
Averaging nearly 30 points per game
In the Minnesota Timberwolves’ win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, Edwards again got buckets. In a tight game, Minnesota needed his scoring, and he delivered with 41 points. It came on solid efficiency as well (15-for-29 from the field, 7-for-13 from 3-point range, 4-for-4 from the foul line). There was a time in the fourth quarter where he scored 10 straight for Minnesota to help secure the victory.
In his 52nd game of the season, Ant now has nine performances this year of at least 40 points. That ties his career-high of 40-point outings in a season set last year, and the Timberwolves still have 20 games remaining. Edwards now has the second-most 40-point games before the age of 25 by a shooting guard all-time, as he passed Kobe Bryant and is only behind Michael Jordan.
Each season in the league, Edwards has increased his scoring average. This year, he is now up to 29.7 points per game. He is shooting career-bests both from the field (49.4 percent) and beyond the arc (40.2 percent).
Currently, Ant places third in the league in scoring. He is behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.8) and Luka Doncic (32.4). Last season, Edwards was fourth in scoring at 27.6 points per contest.
Now, the two names ahead of him in points per game are seen by many as the game’s two best scorers. Ant does have advantages over both of them, though.
Doncic isn’t nearly as efficient, although he has been improving his percentages of late. Shai isn’t the threat that Ant-Man is from 3-point distance. Both Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander are also more reliant on getting points from the free-throw line. Yes, that’s scoring, but Edwards is often dropping 30 without needing to live at the line.
Is Edwards the best scorer? Probably not (yet). But he’s an ascending superstar talent who is getting better every year. It’s hard to give him that title as the league's best scorer when, in last year’s playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder eliminated the Timberwolves in five games, and Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 8.4 more points in the series than Edwards. Maybe if they meet up again this year, things will go differently.
All-time great scorer before the age of 25
Born on August 5, 2001, Edwards won’t turn 25 until the offseason. He currently has the sixth-most points ever before reaching that age, and he should move into third by the end of the regular season.
With 10,640 career points, Ant is certainly within the scoring marks of Kobe Bryant (10,658), Carmelo Anthony (10,768), and Luka Doncic (10,825). At his 29.7 scoring rate this year, it would take him just seven games to pass all three of them.
Without him reaching his prime years yet, Edwards is primed to become one of the all-time great scorers. With him improving each year as well, Ant-Man has a great chance to have a stretch where he is known as the best scorer in the game.