Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards is currently dominating on the world stage with the USA basketball team in the FIBA World Cup. He has established himself as the go-to guy not only through his electrifying talent but through his willingness to take a leadership role for the USA squad. Edwards led USA basketball to an unblemished exhibition record with blowout wins over Puerto Rico and Slovenia but it was his performance in a comeback win over Germany that really stood out. Team USA was down by 16 in the second half before Anthony Edwards took over hitting multiple clutch shots late and finishing with a game-high 34 point. Edwards led Team USA to a 99-91 victory over Germany in their final and most competitive exhibition before moving on to the group stage.
Edwards averaged 19.2 points on 51% shooting, while adding 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals, a team-high 2 steals and a block per game in the five exhibition games for Team USA. USA head coach Steve Kerr spoke highly of Edwards after the thriller against Germany stating "He's unquestionably the guy". Kerr then went on to say, “You can see he knows it. But now the team knows it, and I think the fans see it. But we see it in practice every day. He genuinely believes he’s the best player in the gym every single night. And he’s such a dynamic young player. I think he’s taking a leap.”
After Edwards third season in the NBA, where he averaged 24.6 points per game, one could argue he should go into his 4th season as the unquestionable guy for the Timberwolves. Though the Timberwolves have excellent talent like 3-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and 3-time defensive play of the year in Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves will only go as far as Edwards take them. With that said, it is clear that at 22 years old, Anthony Edwards is just scratching the surface of where he can be. I see Edwards as a future MVP caliber player in the NBA and his 4th season could potentially be another leap forward for him along with the Timberwolves.
Last season, Edwards made his first All-Star team and made the postseason for the second season in a row. Still after the role he has played for Team USA, I believe Edwards will carry that same level of confidence and leadership right into the coming NBA season. I believe Edwards will take an even bigger step forward than he did last season by not only being an All-Star but an All-NBA level player. Edwards obviously has the dedication, skillset, and talent necessary for that level of success so it really is only a matter time until he reaches that level of individual success. Still, what will matter most in measuring what a successful season looks like for Edwards is how much better can the Timberwolves be next season in a stacked western conference.
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