Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards put the NBA on notice with his 41-point opening night performance. He showcased his well-discussed growth as a mid-range shooter and looked truly unstoppable as a scorer. Adding a consistent mid-range shot would make Edwards a true all-around scoring threat.
Edwards' confidence isn't anything new. However, Edwards looked particularly confident during Wednesday's win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Popular podcast and analyst Bill Simmons said it best regarding Edwards' performance.
"There was a f*ck you energy that he had in that game that I enjoyed," Simmons said.
Simmons also mentioned that Ant's performance was a little bit "don't forget about me" in his game. He discussed how Edwards was motivated by other teams being discussed while the Wolves, who made back-to-back conference finals appearances, were seemingly being counted out in championship conversations.
I think this is a fair assessment, especially given Edwards' supreme confidence. We've seen it before with many all-time greats; they're at their best when you count them out and Ant is no different.
The Timberwolves are depending on Ant more than ever
Edwards' improvements as an all-around scorer, paired with even more moxie, should terrify the league and give Wolves fans more confidence in the team's title chances. The 24-year-old superstar is always evolving, but this year feels poised to be an MVP-caliber campaign for Ant.
This season, the Timberwolves are counting on Edwards more than ever, given their lack of playmaking. Chris Finch opted to start Donte DiVincenzo over Mike Conley. For most of the game, the Wolves operated without a traditional point guard. Regardless, on a team that looks like it will run a lot of point guard by committee, Edwards will be taxed even more.
Even last season, Edwards spent a career high (49 percent) playing point guard per Cleaning the Glass. While it's just one game, Edwards spent 65 percent of his time playing point guard on Wednesday night. Likewise, Edwards was the most blitzed player on pick-and-rolls.
Top ten players that have been blitzed most often in pick and rolls this season.
— Owen Phillips (@owenlhjphillips) April 7, 2025
Defenses are loading up on Ant and forcing him to be a playmaker -- last year his blitz % was 9 percent pic.twitter.com/8uUmeWm5jC
Spider-Man popularized the saying: With great power comes great responsibility. As is this quote applies to Ant-Man. However, I'd like to amend the famous quote to: With great power comes great responsibility and great confidence.
It was a mistake to write off the Timberwolves
Again, saying that Ant is confident is such an obvious statement, but man, he was operating on a different level Wednesday night. Furthermore, based on his track record and how focused he appeared on media day, it's fair to expect that this trend will continue throughout the season.
And as mentioned earlier, it's certainly possible that the Wolves being counted out by many people gave Edwards some extra juice. To make a championship leap, this level of confidence is exactly what you need from your best player.
Edwards was one of the few Wolves players who seemed unfazed by the Blazers' stifling on-ball defense. He played at his own pace, got to his spots, and dominated one of the league's best on-ball stoppers, Toumani Camara. Of course, this was paired with some classic Ant moments, including the game-sealing jumper.
Ultimately, the Timberwolves being seemingly written off might have given Edwards an extra confidence boost that will benefit Minnesota and should terrify the league's 29 other teams.