Anthony Edwards’ massive area of growth should have rival teams dreading the playoffs

Anthony Edwards has already had an abnormal amount of success for a 24-year-old. The Minnesota Timberwolves star has elevated his game once again this season -- averaging a career-best 29.5 points. There have been two main areas of growth for Edwards that have stood out: mid-range scoring and clutch time consistency.

In some ways, they're interconnected, and both undoubtedly make Ant a tougher playoff matchup. However, I'd like to focus specifically on his clutch time scoring and why it makes him a true matchup nightmare for opposing teams.

Before this season, Ant had never shot higher than 43 percent from the field in clutch time situations. This season, though, Edwards is shooting 59.5 percent from the field in the clutch (a 16.9 percent leap from last year) -- while ranking second in the league in clutch points. Currently, Ant is the odds-on favorite for Clutch Player of the Year.

Edwards' recent game against the Dallas Mavericks was yet another example of his exceptional clutch play. He scored four points on three clutch time shots and scored 14 fourth-quarter points. Overall, Edwards finished the night with 40 points en route to an 11-point win. Ant's stellar performance ensured this game was only a clutch game for less than two minutes.

Ant's growth as a clutch scorer makes him a matchup nightmare

Considering how much success Edwards has already had while not being a dependable late-game scorer, this leap should have opposing teams dreading a matchup with the Wolves. In fairness, Ant-Man has always risen to the occasion as a clutch scorer in the playoffs.

Nevertheless, with his clutch dominance in the regular season, Ant might reach another level as a clutch scorer come playoff time. The Wolves have already made two conference finals appearances, now with Ant's growth as an all-around scorer, a championship run can't be ruled out.

As noted earlier, Edwards' improved mid-range scoring has allowed him to become a more consistent clutch time threat. Notably, Ant's 3.8 mid-range attempts and 44.1 percent on mid-range shots are both career-highs. This has given Edwards a true go-to shot down the stretch of games, as he often uses his baseline turnaround jumper. Before, Edwards was a bit more predictable in late games; now, he is anything but predictable as he can truly beat you at all three levels.

Containing Ant's scoring was already a challenging task -- but come playoff time, teams might be flat-out hopeless against him. He is one of the league's best 3-point shooters, an elite finisher, and now a knockdown mid-range scorer. Opposing defenses have to simply pick their poison against Ant, and this is most dangerous in clutch time settings.

It's fair to have some level of concern about the Timberwolves' championship viability. Regardless, on the optimistic side, Edwards' greatness will give the Wolves a chance in any series. Undoubtedly, nobody wants to see this new version of Ant in the playoffs.