Anthony Edwards still has one massive area of growth to reach another level

There's no denying Anthony Edwards' greatness. At minimum, the Minnesota Timberwolves star is a top-eight-level player. However, at 24, Edwards still hasn't reached his ceiling. Edwards has leveled up as a scorer this season, utilizing the mid-range more, averaging a career-high 29.1 points.

By all accounts, he's playing the best basketball of his career. Even still, it's clear that Ant has another level to reach. Many people would point to his playmaking as the primary area of growth, which is fair, but I think reaching another level defensively is truly the next step for Ant.

Edwards has a reputation as a great defender, but the reality is that he's not a consistent defender. When Edwards locks in, he is a very impactful two-way star. However, his defense comes in sporadic bursts.

Undoubtedly, Edwards could become one of the best two-way players, which could, in turn, push him into the next tier of stars. Entering 2026, to me, it's very clearly the next area of growth for Ant-Man.

Defense is the next area of improvement for Edwards

Before the season, Edwards discussed wanting to make an All-Defensive team. Frankly, though, he's still far away from this goal.

At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds and ungodly athleticism, Edwards has all the tools to be an elite-level defender. And at times, we see this. Most notably, in the fourth quarters of games, when opponents shot just 39.1 percent against Edwards, this is a significant difference between his overall defensive field goal percentage of 46.7. Edwards' clutch defense on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains a highlight of the season.

The Timberwolves' defense is actually 9.7 points per 100 possessions worse with Edwards on the floor. Per Cleaning the Glass, this number ranks in the fifth percentile. Despite Edwards' incredible offense, his lackluster defense gives him a negative on/off swing. This marks the third straight year that the Wolves' defense has been worse with Edwards on the court.

That's a problem for your star player, and it reflects a need for him to improve on defense. Edwards' inconsistent defense is paired with the Wolves' overall inconsistent defense.

The most frustrating part of Edwards' defense is that he mostly struggles off the ball. Edwards is often caught ball watching and isn't attentive off the ball. Furthermore, Edwards struggles with screen navigation and transition defense.

Here's an example of him not rotating over and giving up an easy fast break layup. He's far from the only one to play poor defense on this possession, but you get the point.

Edwards' on-ball defense generally remains solid, and he's certainly not a player opposing teams can target. Nevertheless, in year six, Edwards must improve at these nuanced aspects of defense.

Plus, even though Edwards' on-ball defense is an overall positive, he's not as consistent as you'd like him to be, and he doesn't take on difficult matchups. Per CraftedNBA, Edwards ranks in the 47th percentile for matchup difficulty.

For a Wolves team that lacks a point of attack defender outside of Jaden McDaniels, it would be nice for Edwards to take on difficult matchups more often --- especially given that on-ball defense is his strength on that end of the court. Of course, that's easier said than done, given his immense offensive responsibilities. Still, for Edwards to truly reach another level, his defense is a clear area of growth.

Thankfully, Edwards has shown he can be a good defender at times, especially in the biggest moments; it's just a matter of being more consistent and engaged.