Anthony Edwards has reportedly been focusing on improving as a mid-range and post-scorer this offseason. Nevertheless, the 24-year-old superstar still has another level to reach as a playmaker, something that would be more significant for him and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Adding more of a mid-range and post-game would help Edwards become a more well-rounded scorer. Still, Edwards is already one of the league's best scorers, and playmaking is a clear area of growth for him. Notably, last season, Edwards averaged just 4.5 assists and 3.2 turnovers. This equates to an underwhelming 1.44 assist-to-turnover ratio, which ranked 376th among players receiving in 15-plus minutes.
Per Databallr, Edwards ranked in just the second percentile for potential assists per minute despite being in the 100th percentile for on-ball percentage. Furthermore, Cleaning the Glass ranks him in just the 10th percentile for assist-to-usage rate. Overall, it's clear that Edwards' playmaking needs to reach another level and maximize the Wolves' season.
Mike Conley turns 38 before the season starts, and it's unclear if Rob Dillingham is ready for a bigger role. As a result, the need for Edwards to improve as a playmaker is more severe.
Edwards must grow as a playmaker to help the Wolves reach their goals
The Wolves could look to use Edwards in more of a lead guard role, especially given their need for playmaking. Last season, Edwards spent 49 percent of his minutes playing point guard, a number that exceeded his previous career high of 30. It's possible this number goes up as Conley ages.
Regardless, this must be connected with playmaking improvements for Edwards. Last season, he was the most blitzed player on pick-and-rolls, a trend that feels likely to continue. Edwards must make better reads when he's double-teamed, and more generally, he can work on organizing the offense for his teammates. That's a lot of responsibilities given his burden as a scorer, but something Edwards is capable of doing as a superstar.
Edwards' clutch-time decision-making is perhaps where his playmaking must improve the most. Notably, he recorded more turnovers than assists in clutch-time games last season.
Again, the Wolves' roster construction makes Edwards' improvement as a playmaker essential. Conley is aging; it's unclear if Dillingham can handle big minutes, and Donte DiVincenzo is best utilized off the ball. As a result, Edwards might be the lead initiator in multiple lineups for the Wolves. Julius Randle will help as well, given his point forward skill set. Nonetheless, Edwards will have a significant playmaking burden, and he must improve this area of his game.
Ultimately, the clearest path for the Wolves to have a successful regular season and playoff run is for Edwards to reach another level as a playmaker. Given Edwards' age and history of consistently improving, this feels like a realistic possibility.