At 25 years old, Anthony Edwards is already a clear-cut top-10 player in the league—he's closer to top-five if you ask me. Ant is a dominant three-level scorer and has led the Minnesota Timberwolves to two conference finals. However, for his entire career, the Timberwolves' roster around Edwards has never been ideal, particularly offensively.
The Julius Randle-Rudy Gobert frontcourt clogged up the driving lanes. Furthermore, Randle's isolation style and poor off-ball abilities made him a subpar fit alongside Edwards. Karl-Anthony Towns, while talented, never complemented Ant-Man.
Say what you will about LaMelo Ball, but he's undeniably the best-fitting co-star of Edwards' career, and from a talent standpoint, he's a massive upgrade over Randle. Co-stars need to cover up their star's biggest weakness, and Ball's elite playmaking does exactly that.
Now, with an improved roster around him from a talent and fit standpoint, Edwards feels poised to level up this season. And that should put other teams around the league on edge.
LaMelo Ball will unlock another version of Anthony Edwards
Last season, Edwards was overtaxed as both a shot creator and playmaker. Now, he averaged a career-best 28.8 points per game and reached another level as a scorer due to his improved mid-range shooting. Regardless, Edwards' all-around impact left much to be desired, as he regressed as a defender and playmaker.
These struggles are a reflection of the roster flaws, not a major knock on Edwards. With Ball in the mix, Ant will be fed easier shots, and this will unlock his catch-and-shoot upside. Edwards will also be allowed to attack with an advantage more often.
Being a more versatile scorer should help take Edwards' game to another level and make him even harder to guard. Likewise, there's no longer a clear blueprint for guarding Edwards. And even when there was one last year, he remained one of the hardest players to stop.
Opposing teams having no answer against Edwards could make the Timberwolves' offense a true juggernaut, which may help them make a championship run. Look what he and the team have accomplished with bigger flaws.
Furthermore, Ball's presence will give Ant more energy, which could help him unlock his defensive upside. Edwards has all the physical tools to be an elite defender, but being overtaxed on offense has prevented him from maximizing his traits.
Last season, things reached a breaking point for Edwards, and his off-ball engagement was particularly poor. Notably, Minnesota's offense was 5.7 points per 100 possessions worse with Edwards on the court, and he ranked in the 42nd percentile for estimated defensive plus-minus per Dunks & Threes.
Still, he has been better in past years, and with less of an offensive burden, this should be the best defensive season of his career. Edwards is a tenacious on-ball defender and has the length and athleticism to wreak havoc off the ball.
By all accounts, we should see the actualized version of Ant on both ends of the floor this season thanks to Ball. In the end, this gives Edwards and the Timberwolves a chance to reach another level this season.
Given the success both Edwards and the Wolves have already had, other teams should be on edge thinking about this possibility before the season begins.
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