Anthony Edwards is an up-and-coming star in the NBA, and everyone knows about his talent at this point. Minnesota Timberwolves fans get the treat of watching him on a nightly basis, and enjoying the eye candy that are his high-level performances on both offense and defense.
But just because Wolves fans appreciate his game and understand that he is a top-10 maybe top-5 level talent in this league, that does not mean everyone sees him through this same lens. Player rankings often underrate Edwards, and FanSided's newly-released NBA 99 list is no different.
In their ranking, FanSided lists Ant as the 12th best player in the NBA, along with the third-best wing, behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic. While not a terrible placement, it is clear that Edwards deserves a spot just a bit higher than this.
Edwards was ranked 12th overall in FanSided's Top 99 players list
Let's break down the rest of the list, shall we? Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and SGA represent the top three of the ranking. From there, Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Victor Wembanyama, Kevin Durant, Jalen Brunson, Anthony Davis and Stephen Curry round out the top 10 of the list. At number 11, Donovan Mitchell is the only other player ranked ahead of Edwards.
The description under Ant's entry reads as follows: If it feels like Anthony Edwards is adding something to his repertoire every season, that’s because he is. Last year, constant aggression resulted in career-high field goal percentage and nightly free throw output. Suddenly, we’re seeing a new approach and eagerness to let it fly from downtown, and it’s translated to a breakout effort from beyond the arc.
This is a great breakdown, and the rest of the entry does an excellent job explaining more of why he has become such a force. Edwards' three-level scoring ability has been heightened with the improvement of an already solid three-point shot, and his athleticism is the cherry on top. Well, since we acknowledge his growth and his current status as the leader of one of the top teams in the Western Conference, why the low placement?
I get the hesitation to place him higher based on perhaps the Timberwolves' slow start to this season after such a dominant regular season last year. Team record is always going to play into these rankings at some level or another. But on the other hand, Victor Wembanyama is ranked sixth here. So there is really no excuse not to have Edwards much higher.