Two seasons ago, Anthony Edwards became one of the league's best shooters. In the 2024-25 season, he led the league in 3-pointers made and attempted. Still, Edwards has largely relied on difficult self-created jumpers during this leap. Last season, he shot just 2.3 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers (which ranked fifth on the team), but he netted an absurd 47.8 percent of them.
Furthermore, per Basketball Index, Ant ranked in the 99th percentile for off-ball gravity and overall 3-point shooting talent. He is one of the league's best spot-up shooters, yet due to the roster context around him, this skill hasn't been leaned on enough.
Now with LaMelo Ball in the mix, this aspect of Ant's game will be utilized far more, which will be a game-changer for him and the Minnesota Timberwolves as a whole.
Why taking advantage of Anthony Edwards' off-ball shooting will be a game-changer
There's no denying that the Timberwolves' offense was predictable last season, and a key reason why was that Edwards was overtaxed as a creator. Opposing teams could load up on him as a playmaker since he had so many on-ball responsibilities.
Ball gives opposing defenses another elite creator to account for, making double teams and blitzes less practical. His playmaking will also open up shots for everyone, especially Ant.
Could Chris Finch have used more off-ball actions for Edwards in the past two seasons? Yeah, probably, but a lot of the problems were roster-related; it's hard to run a lot of off-ball actions without a playmaker to set everything up. Expect Finch to bring out some creative screening actions to create spot-up opportunities for Ant.
Moreover, Ball's ability to attack a defense will create natural opportunities for Edwards, or his gravity will open up shots for LaMelo. It's a win-win for the Timberwolves or a lose-lose for other teams.
Despite the strategy of sending the house to Edwards, he was already one of the hardest players in the league to guard. Accounting for him off-ball, though, might genuinely make him impossible to stop.
Last season, the Wolves ranked 14th in offensive rating per Cleaning the Glass. Despite making two conference finals, their offense has never been up to par with their defense, and it's held them back in the highest-leverage moments. Many of these issues can be traced back to not having a secondary creator or a lead playmaker.
Thankfully, Ball changes things in a big way. The Wolves will go from an average offense to an elite one. Likewise, Ball will make them go from a predictable unit to an unpredictable one. The biggest shift is that Ant's shooting will be weaponized.
There will really be no easy answer to containing him. You can't pressure him on the ball as much anymore, and having to deal with him off the ball will be a true headache. I mean, seriously, how do you account for someone like Edwards constantly flying off screens, his ability to score in isolation at any time, along with Ball's playmaking and shooting? This will be a significant challenge even for the league's best defenses.
By all accounts, the addition of LaMelo and the weaponization of Edwards off the ball will make the Timberwolves an impossible offense to cover. While this advantage will be evident in the regular season, the full effects might not be realized until the playoffs, when game-planning becomes more important.
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