The annual NBA GM survey just came out, and they're giving the Minnesota Timberwolves a lot of well-deserved respect heading into this season. The GMs are projecting the Wolves to finish third in the Western Conference, just behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. They also predict the Wolves to be the most fun team in the league to watch.
What was most notable, however, is that they are predicting Anthony Edwards as the third most likely player in the NBA to win MVP, above players like last year's back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum. He's only below Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic.
This is an incredible sign of respect from NBA decision-makers, and while the take may seem slightly outlandish at first, the chances of him winning the award are a lot better than some may think.
Anthony Edwards has a perfect situation around him to win MVP
In previous seasons, Edwards has always been on the outside looking in when it comes to MVP conversations. Usually, the team didn't have enough regular-season wins to be considered. Unless you're putting up ungodly box-score numbers, it's highly unlikely that someone on the six-seed is going to place high in MVP voting.
However, his situation this season is much better. It's been talked about plenty, but he finally has a true point guard to play alongside who's able to take some of the offensive pressure off him. Not only that, but he'll get more open looks than ever with LaMelo Ball getting him open shots.
Last season, Edwards shot a stellar 47.8 percent on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, per NBA.com. The issue was that he didn't have anyone on the team able to generate enough of them. Now, that's a different story. Not only will Ball feed him easy shots, but his presence on offense can allow Edwards to make a more consistent impact on defense.
This new-look roster will be primed to win more regular-season games, and it also puts Edwards in a much better position to succeed. The Wolves have only had one MVP winner in franchise history, and it was Kevin Garnett in the 2003-04 season.
The talent level and competition are as stiff as ever for the award, but people who matter a lot in NBA circles clearly believe in this team, and if they can be as good as they suggest, then why can't Anthony Edwards bring the trophy home to Minnesota for the first time in over 20 years?
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