Anthony Edwards is one of the NBA’s great young talents, but he’s still in his sixth season in the NBA.
In the first round of last year’s playoffs, Anthony Edwards said the Los Angeles Lakers’ defense “can be a mess sometimes.” But despite this, he and the Timberwolves defeated the Lakers in five games.
This is emblematic of Edwards’ career thus far. He’s not a finished product yet, but he’s getting the job done anyway. Edwards led the Timberwolves to their second straight Western Conference Finals. You just need to smooth out the rough edges to get over the humps.
Luckily for him, teammate Rudy Gobert is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year. Not only will Edwards be able to hone his attacking arsenal against the Frenchman in practice, but he will also be able to ask him for advice.
Edwards did just that, following Gobert’s advice and improving his game, which made him “even more fearsome.”
Edwards is a natural athletic fan and a two-way weapon. He is explosive on drives to the rim, is a good 3-point shooter, and has an inner killer that compares Edwards to Michael Jordan.
But it was his playmaking ability that needed to be developed. Edwards averaged three assists per game as a rookie, but averaged just 4.5 assists per game last season. This is a low number for a player who dominates the ball like him.
Gobert told his teammates that improving his passing isn’t just about getting other players involved in the attack. He explained why the scariest players to defend are those who can both score and share the ball.
After Edwards had five assists against the Chicago Bulls, he told reporters:
“I now expect him to pass away. A few years ago I was expecting him and I wasn’t that optimistic. But now I think he’s going to find me every time the pass is there, and tonight he did.”
“He understands now that this is so important to our team, to our success, and to his individual success as well. I’ve always told him that the hardest players for me to guard are the players that I know are good passers because you can’t really go and commit.
“He’s really doing that right now. And I think it’s even more scary when he comes down the lane. For a big guy, you don’t want him to come late because he’s going to dunk you. And if he comes early, he’s going to throw that lob and you’re going to be unguardable.”
With more weapons, Edwards could go from one of the NBA’s best players to the NBA’s best. That being said, this could be the year that Minnesota goes through the roof and makes it to the finals.
Last season, it was Gobert, not Edwards, who sent the Lakers to the playoffs. Gobert had 27 points and 24 rebounds in a decisive Game 5 for both teams.
LeBron James received praise for that performance, but speaking on the Mind the Game podcast, he gave credit to Edwards instead.
“I see Ant taking the next step right now, and I’m proud of him as a player who’s been in the league a long time. His playmaking has improved a lot, and you saw him jump from last year’s playoffs to this playoffs,” James said.
“Everything Rudy (Gobert) did in Game 5 came from Ant coming into the game like he did in the first four games. All eyes were on Ant. Everything was game planned around Ant, and Rudy benefited from that moment.”
If Edwards can improve his playmaking next season, we could expect even bigger games from Gobert. But at the same time, expect Edwards to get open more often as defenses scramble to cut off his passing options.