Anthony Edwards is making waves in the NBA, quickly establishing himself as one of the league's most formidable talents. His meteoric rise has not gone unnoticed, as he was recently voted No. 10 on CBS Sports’ Top 100 NBA players list. This recognition is just one of the many accolades Edwards accumulated after a breakout season filled with career highs across various metrics.
Last season, Edwards earned his first All-NBA selection, a testament to his remarkable improvement and influence on the court. He didn't just stop there—finishing seventh in MVP voting underscored his pivotal role in catapulting the Minnesota Timberwolves into the Western Conference finals. Edwards’s ability to elevate his performance during high-stakes moments became particularly evident as he transitioned from the regular season to the playoffs.
In the regular season, Edwards averaged an impressive 25.9 points per game (PPG), but he upped his game when it mattered most, posting 27.6 PPG in the playoffs. His contribution wasn't limited to scoring; his assists also saw a notable increase, rising from 5.1 per game during the regular season to 6.5 in the playoffs. Additionally, his shooting percentages reflected his clutch performance, with his overall shooting accuracy improving from 46% to 48%, and his three-point shooting climbing from 35.7% to an impressive 40%.
One crucial factor in Edwards's development has been his willingness to learn and adapt by observing other elite players. During his time with Team USA, he had the invaluable opportunity to watch and learn from some of basketball's finest. "I think the best part about the whole [Olympic experience] was the practices," Edwards said, reflecting on his developmental journey.
Edwards mentioned the key takeaways from his time with NBA legends, noting, "I think the best thing that I learned was from Steph. I took Bron's pregame routine, but Steph just playing without the ball. So like, the last few days [with the Timberwolves] we've been playing five on five, I just be cutting, getting out of the way, and I get easy shots. So I think I learned the most from Steph." This insight into other players' routines and styles has clearly had a meaningful impact on his own playing approach.
Integrating what he learned from Stephen Curry, particularly the importance of off-ball movement, Edwards has started to incorporate these tactics into his game. Curry’s off-ball movement is known for adding layers of complexity that defenders find challenging to counter. The new dimension in Edwards’s gameplay has not only enhanced his scoring opportunities but also made him a more versatile and unpredictable player.
Adopting such high levels of off-ball activity requires peak physical fitness, a challenge that Edwards has embraced. Witnessing Curry's relentless movement without the ball likely provided Edwards with a blueprint for sustaining this intensity throughout the season. Additionally, great players like Curry have built a deep, anticipatory chemistry with their teammates over the years, a facet of the game that Edwards is looking to cultivate within the Timberwolves roster.
Edwards's approach—melding raw talent with observations drawn from top-tier athletes—speaks to a broader evolution of his basketball intellect and maturity. By weaving in elements of LeBron James’s pregame preparation with the perpetual motion of Curry’s off-ball dynamics, Edwards is sculpting a game style that is as multifaceted as it is effective.
As Anthony Edwards continues to refine his skills and adapt lessons learned from some of the basketball greats, his trajectory in the NBA looks increasingly promising. The impressive leaps in his performance metrics and the strategic infusion of elite player habits signify not just a rising star, but potentially one of the next enduring figures in the league.