Anthony Edwards has a clear path to settling longstanding Luka Dončić debate

Entering his sixth season in the league, Anthony Edwards is already a consensus top-10 player and is floating around the top-five of many people's lists. After beating the Los Angeles Lakers in the first-round, many believed the Minnesota Timberwolves star now has an edge over Luka Dončić. At the very least, Edwards has closed the gap between him and Luka.

The two superstars have been linked after facing off in the 2024 Western Conference finals.

Recently, The Ringer ranked Edwards at No. 5 and Luka at No. 4. ESPN had Edwards at No. 6, with Luka three spots higher. Likewise, The Athletic ranked Luka at No. 4, two spots higher than Edwards. Shaun Powell of NBA.com ranked Edwards one spot above Dončić during his ranking of the best players in the Western Conference.

Undoubtedly, the gap between Edwards and Luka has never been closer. At 24, Edwards will likely level up with improvements as a playmaker, defender, and overall scorer. With these improvements, Edwards could surpass Dončić in the eyes of most.

Luka is the better offensive player for now

Playmaking is the biggest advantage Luka has over Edwards right now. Luka averaged 7.7 assists to Edwards' 4.5 dimes. Additionally, Edwards averaged a 1.44 assist-to-turnover ratio compared to Dončić's 2.14. Edwards becoming a better playmaker than Luka is highly unlikely. Nevertheless, moving closer to Dončić's level as a playmaker is a real possibility that could change how we look at both players.

To close this gap, Edwards must make better reads when he's double-teamed and improve his late-game decision-making.

Luka likely still has a leg up over Ant in terms of scoring, but it's a real debate. Notably, Luka only averaged .6 points more than Edwards last year. Ant becoming one of the league's best 3-point shooters helped him close this gap last season.

Edwards has made it a point to develop as a mid-range scorer this offseason. The Georgia product has never shot above 40 percent from the mid-range. If Edwards makes real strides as a mid-range scorer, he could be a better scorer than Luka.

Edwards' defense is a clear advantage, and he could widen the gap this year

Defensively, is where Edwards has the clear edge over Luka. However, Edwards is a notch below being a true elite defender. Ant is a high-level on-ball stopper, posting a 40.4 defensive field goal percentage. Off the ball, though, Edwards needs to remain more engaged this season.

While his 1.8 stocks per game are solid averages, Ant is often caught ball-watching and has other bad habits off the ball. Edwards has always discussed remaining engaged defensively. If Ant can do this, while remaining elite on offense, it's fair to say he could surpass Luka in the eyes of most.

It's worth noting that Luka is one of the NBA's worst defenders, and during the first round of the playoffs, the Wolves relentlessly attack Dončić. During an elimination Game 5, Luka allowed a 44.7 percent blow-by rate, which was the most in the playoffs. Perhaps Dončić's defense improves as he's gotten into shape, but so far, we have a seven-year sample size of him being an awful defender.

The Wolves possibly being above the Lakers in the standings, with Edwards having a worse second option than Luka, gives him yet another path to surpass Dončić. Ultimately, it won't be easy, but Edwards has a clear path to leaping over Luka this season.