Anthony Edwards is shirtless again as he stands at his locker answering questions from the media after Wednesday’s 110-101 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. A reporter asks him what needs to happen for him to make an all-defense team. “I think more people need to watch Minnesota Timberwolves games,” he said, “as far as whoever the f— the voters are.”
“The best player gets hot,” he added, “and I go shut them down.”
In this case, Edwards is referring to Jaren Jackson Jr. On Wednesday, Jackson had 29 points through three quarters. But he only scored four points in the fourth quarter after Edwards switched onto him. After Edwards switched onto Jackson, the Wolves out-scored Memphis 22-16 and secured the win. Edwards was his supremely confident self after the game, claiming he deserves to be on the all-defensive team.
He might have a point.
Edwards has not taken much of a leap forward this season statistically. He’s posting a career-high 107.3 defensive rating. However, defensive rating relies heavily on overall team performance. Edwards is also averaging 1.3 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 4.7 rebounds per game. All of that is in line with his career averages of 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 4.4 defensive rebounds. While traditional statistics would suggest that Edwards hasn’t taken much of a step forward, it doesn’t meet the eye test. Those who follow Edwards and the Wolves closely may have noticed that he has increased his defensive intensity and always appears engaged and attentive.
Thankfully, NBA.com tracks advanced stats that highlight where Edwards has improved. Defensive field goal percentage is the first category. Last year, Edwards allowed opposing players to shoot 46.6% from the field and 35.4% from three. Opponents are also shooting the ball 12.4 times per game against Edwards. But Edwards is allowing 45.5% from the field this season and 30.9% from three on only 10.8 shot attempts.
Those numbers get even better in the fourth quarter when Edwards typically guards one of the best players on opposing teams. Edwards is allowing only 43.6% from the field and 27.5% from three in the fourth quarter. That indicates that opposing players are shooting the ball worse and taking fewer shots against Edwards compared to last year. The data also shows that Edwards improves his defense when guarding better players in crunch time.
Edwards has also been an effective defender against different positions this season. He has spent 51.9% of his minutes matched up against guards this season and 44.2% against forwards. Interestingly, when Edwards matches up against bigger players, he defends better, especially when guarding the three-point line. Edwards allows only a 27.2% three-point percentage when guarding forwards, which is 8.1 percent better than when he is matched up against a guard.
Edwards’ ability to match up against different positions and still be effective is a testament to his strength and buy-in to the defensive side of the floor. However, comparing Edwards to last season’s all-defensive guards shows how close he is to being an all-defensive player. I used traditional and advanced stats for the comparisons below. By doing so, I could compare Edwards objectively to his competition.
Edwards (2023-24)
- Defensive rating: 107.3
- Steals: 1.3
- Blocks: 0.5
- Opp FG and 3pt: 44.2/30.9%
- Percent of guarding forwards: 44.2%
Alex Caruso (2022-23 first team)
- Defensive rating: 106.5
- Steals: 1.5
- Blocks: 0.7
- Opp FG and 3pt: 44.4/35.9%
- Percent of guarding forwards: 31.2%
Jrue Holiday (2022-23 first team)
- Defensive rating: 107.9
- Steals: 1.2
- Blocks: 0.4
- Opp FG and 3pt: 45.5/33.6%
- Percent of guarding forwards: 34.2%
Derrick White (2022-23 second team)
- Defensive rating: 107.2
- Steals: 0.7
- Blocks: 0.9
- Opp FG and 3pt: 44.4/31.4%
- Percent of guarding forwards: 29.0%
Dillon Brooks (2022-23 second team)
- Defensive rating: 108.5
- Steals: 0.9
- Blocks: 0.2
- Opp FG and 3pt: 44.3/34.9%
- Percent of guarding forwards: 38.3%
Among the five players above, Edwards ranks:
- Third in defensive rating
- Second in steals
- Third in blocks
- First in opposing field goal percentage
- First in opposing three-point percentage
- First in guarding forwards
The other four players are all from the all-defensive teams last season, and Edwards matches them statistically, suggesting that Edwards has a point. He has been great defensively all year. “Nobody sees it but y’all,” Edwards continued in his postgame interview, referring to his defense. Statistically, Edwards has an excellent case for making an all-defensive team. As the sports world changes focus from NFL to NBA, Wolves fans can only hope that “whoever the f— the voters are” start seeing how elite Edwards is on defense.
