Anthony Edwards is well-known for his elite playoff production. During this playoff run, Edwards has cemented his spot as one of the league's best playoff performers, and to me, he is proving that he is a top-five player in the world. While we have to see how the rest of the series plays out, we may very well be watching Edwards' best playoff series of his career thus far.
The Minnesota Timberwolves entered their second-round series against the San Antonio Spurs as heavy underdogs, and Ant's status following a bone bruise and hyperextended knee was uncertain. Not only has he played in every game, but Edwards is putting the team on his back en route to a 2-2 series tie.
Through four games in the second-round, Ant is averaging 24.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on 51.4/40.9/81.3 shooting splits. Edwards is coming off back-to-back games with 30-plus points, including a masterful 36-point game (where he scored 16 of his points in the fourth quarter) to will the Wolves to a win in Game 4.
You simply can't ask for anything more from someone who has dealt with two knee injuries since March. Ant's play is even more impressive when accounting for the lack of consistent shot creation and scoring he's getting from his teammates.
Edwards' blend of elite shot creation, three-level scoring, and difficult shot making is something that few (if any) players can match. At this point, there's no debating that Ant is one of the league's best playoff performers (he might even be the best). And while I'm sure Edwards isn't universally considered a top-five player, the arguments against his case are getting harder to make.
Anthony Edwards is a top-five player in the NBA
I think everyone can agree that these playoffs have cemented Edwards' case as an otherworldly playoff performer. Let's break down the more controversial part of my take: Ant is a top-five player.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic are the two players that everyone can agree are top-five in the league. Then you have Ant, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo battling for those final three spots. That's stiff competition to say the least.
I would pencil Wemby into the top-five, and I think this is a common opinion. His defensive impact is unmatched, and he gives you 25 a night. Enough said.
With all due respect to Giannis, Ant, and Luka would take my final two spots.
Maybe there's some recency bias at play, but Giannis' injury problems are a real concern, and so is his lack of shooting (to a lesser extent). And frankly, I'd bump out Luka of the top-five before I would Ant given Doncic's poor defense.
If you want to disagree with me and have Giannis and Luka or even Cade Cunningham in your top-five, that's fine. However, after these playoffs, I find it hard to argue that there are five players you'd rather have over Ant. Likewise, when the offseason rolls around, I think the prevailing thought will be that Edwards is a top-five player.
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