Anthony Edwards finished the best season of his NBA career, achieving individual and team success. He made the All-NBA second team after averaging 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in the regular season, earning his first All-NBA selection.
He also played a major role in the Minnesota Timberwolves winning two playoff series, giving the organization its first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2004. Although the Wolves didn’t win a championship, it was a year of significant progression for the 22-year-old superstar.
Edwards is now playing on one of the best Team USA basketball teams in years, featuring Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James. These are legends of the game, transcendent players who have built a global presence for their achievements in the NBA. Edwards will get a chance to learn and play alongside these greats, an opportunity that he appreciates.
“It means a lot playing alongside [Curry, James, and Durant],” Edwards said in an interview with Yahoo! Sports. “All the rest of us [have] to do is find a way to fit in, defend, do all the right things to stay on the court, and I think we’ll win.”
While Edwards appreciates his unique opportunity, he believes his teammates must also find a way to play around him.
“I’m still the No. 1 option,” Edwards said in his media availability on Sunday. “They [have] to fit in to play around me. That’s how I feel.”
Edwards’ confidence has been one of the characteristics that fans and players have adored since Day 1. Considering Team USA’s firepower, though, many people questioned his statement. However, Team USA coach Steve Kerr has no issue with Edwards’ statement.
“I love that [he] said that. I want him to think that way,” Kerr said on Tuesday. “I want five, six other guys to feel that way, too.”
Edwards built momentum for himself in Wednesday night’s exhibition win over Team Canada. He finished the game as the leading scorer with 13 points in 19 minutes off the bench. Edwards was arguably Team USA’s best player. Whether he starts in the Olympics or not, he will have a vital role on the team. There’s no doubting the firepower on this team, but Edwards possesses certain traits his teammates just can’t replicate.
He first appeared on Team USA in last year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup. Edwards was the centerpiece of that team and made spectacular plays throughout the tournament. Although the Americans bowed out in the semifinals, Edwards’ FIBA experience propelled him to have a successful 2023-24 campaign with the Wolves.
There’s a great chance that playing such a deep team will do the same in Paris. Team USA is determined and favored to win Gold for their fifth consecutive first-place finish. However, international basketball is a different game, and adapting to that style can benefit Edwards’ career trajectory. While Team USA might’ve had the most talented roster in the World Cup, Edwards said they were ‘punked’ in the competition.
In Minnesota’s Western Conference Finals loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Wolves relinquished manageable leads in Games 1 and 2. In postseason play, the little things can often dictate momentum, and the Wolves showed inexperience.
Edwards’ Olympic experience can be a great lesson in further improving his tactical understanding of the game. Adapting to the FIBA style can help his NBA career as he tries to get the Wolves over the line to become an NBA champion. Since the World Cup, Edwards has earned more respect from established veterans who have appreciated his competitiveness and approach to the game. Most notably from Kevin Durant, Edwards’ ‘favorite player of all time.’
“It [the respect] went to another level just seeing him compete,” Durant said in an interview with Yahoo! Sports on his first-round matchup with Edwards. “I respect players that say something and prove it. That’s what he did in that series.”
Edwards’ Olympic experience will further prepare him for his responsibilities as the official face of the Wolves and perhaps the league itself. The Wolves no longer need veterans like Patrick Beverley to show him how to become a star in the league; Edwards has already found that formula. It’s on him to continue to set the tone as the organization builds around him as the centerpiece in hopes of reaching their first-ever NBA finals.
Considering Edwards’ performance in the World Cup under the same coaching staff, he could still find himself in the starting lineup alongside Stephen Curry. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if Edwards came off the bench. Edwards and the rest of the second unit showed great chemistry and set the tone against Canada to come back from an early deficit. A Team USA gold medal run could earn Edwards his first “big” team accolade as a professional, a great kickstart to collecting even more of them in Minnesota.
Edwards still has much to accomplish in his career. In his lone season at Georgia, the Bulldogs were on course to miss the NCAA tournament before COVID forced all competition to shut down. While he’s been to the playoffs in three out of his four seasons in the NBA, he’s only advanced past the first round once. There’s no questioning his talent. It has been instrumental in Minnesota’s path to this point. However, this can be the year when the narrative fully shifts. Being a WCF finalist and a Gold medalist in a matter of months would be a great start.
After signing his extension with Adidas, Edwards could have a career-defining summer if all goes well in Paris. The odds suggest Team USA will win this tournament, but that can inspire teams to give them their best shot, as was the case last summer and the disappointment from the third-place finish at the Athens Olympics. Unlike 2021, it’s a fully loaded team this time, and with Edwards set to be featured heavily in Paris, look for him to bring some much-needed juice back to the Twin Cities.
