Is Anthony Edwards ready to take the Crown?

AP/Abbie Parr

The Minnesota Timberwolves shocked most sports pundits by defeating the heavy favorite Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. The Lakers were led by two heavyweights, Luka Doncic and LeBron James, who are renowned as two of the most cerebral minds in basketball. They can break down any defense thrown at them and see over the top as 6-foot-8 point forwards. However, that didn’t work against the hungry pack of the Timberwolves led by their franchise star, Anthony Edwards, which leads us to ask the question.

Is Anthony Edwards ready to take the crown?

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Outspoken. Audacious. Flamboyant. Those are some adjectives I’d use to describe the electrifying shooting guard Anthony Edwards, who put the world on notice once again. He helped propel the Timberwolves past the first round of the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time in franchise history, a season after making their first Conference Finals since 2004. In the last two seasons alone, Edwards has knocked off heavyweights in the postseason. 

Last season, he swept the Phoenix Suns, led by Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, basically snatching the official crown from Booker as the best two guard in the league. Not only did he sweep Durant, but he also talked trash to his favorite player, exuding his competitive banter that makes him such an appealing “Face of the League” candidate. After defeating Durant and Booker, he and the Timberwolves beat the defending champions that season in the Denver Nuggets, whom most believe (including me) have the best player in the world in Nikola Jokic.

In that series, Edwards rose to the occasion again, averaging 27.1 points, 5.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game on 50% from the field and 37% from three in seven games. He became one of three players in NBA history (Kobe Bryant ‘01, Doncic ‘24) age 22 or younger with at least 10 playoff games played in a postseason to average 27+ points, 5+ assists, 5+ rebounds, 1.5+ steals on 50% from the field while leading his team to the Conference Finals or NBA Finals. He's a playoff performer.

Jokic averaged 29.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 7.9 assists on 50% shooting from the field and was held to 23% from three. Edwards then lost to the Dallas Mavericks, led by Doncic and Kyrie Irving, whom he initially took as his defensive assignment. The Timberwolves fell short to the Mavericks in five games. 

Edwards then went on to win a gold medal with the 2024 USA team as the youngest member of the official team, an official stamp that signified his rising superstar status in the NBA. From there, the Timberwolves made a significant roster change before the 2024-25 season, trading away Karl Anthony-Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVicenzo. This prompted Edwards to step up his production after they lost their second-best scorer, Towns. He answered the call.

This past season, Edwards averaged a career-high in points (27.6), three-point percentage (39.5), and three-point attempts (10.1). His three-point volume drew much criticism from most in the media, but he led the league in threes made (320) and shot them at an efficient clip, which helped the Wolves secure a top-six seed in the loaded Western Conference. He did all this without having another All-Star by his side, making it all the more impressive.

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One intangible area in which Edwards has shown significant growth this season is his leadership. His maturity and commitment to his team's success are truly inspiring, and Timberwolves coach Chris Finch has spoken about them this season.

“He's got a great heart, he cheers hard for his teammates' success, he wants to win, he's about the right things. And even when he doesn't know or have all the answers himself or makes mistakes, he's held accountable, he's allowed to be coached, and so he's built up great credit with his teammates."

An increase in production, combined with a mix of personality and a flashy style of play, led analysts to ask Edwards if he wanted to be the face of the league.

“I’m capable of being that guy, but I don’t want to be that guy,” Edwards said. “Put it like that. I want to be the guy to just show up and hoop and just kill dudes and go home.”

Edwards averaged 26.8 points against the Lakers, becoming the first player in NBA history to lead his team in scoring in multiple playoff series wins against former multi-time MVPs at age 23 or younger. He defeated Jokic in 2024 and James this season, per OptaStats.

“Now take the next step. Come on.” James said to Edwards after the Wolves eliminated the Lakers. 

The Timberwolves will play the winner of the Golden State Warriors-Houston Rockets series, whether it’s facing another goliath [Stephen Curry] in NBA history or a young upstart Rockets team. If they advance past the winner of the Warriors-Rockets, they’ll play a Nuggets team they swept this season in four regular-season matchups or a Thunder team they split the four games with this season.

 Edwards is confident in the Timberwolves' title hopes, as they look to reach unforeseen heights in franchise history—a trait he has in abundance.

“We shot 7-of-47 from three and we still beat Luka [Doncic] and LeBron," Edwards said. "I think they the best closers in the game, so who the (expletive) we worried about?”

He seems ready to take the crown.