Anthony Edwards has captured the hearts of Minnesota Timberwolves fans. From poster dunks, to outrageous chase down blocks to mesmerizing shotmaking, Edwards’ game jumps off the screen. His thrilling style of play paired with a charismatic personality has quickly turned the guard into a social media highlight sensation. However, the biggest area of growth for Anthony Edwards this season has come through continuing to learn the game.
Behind his dynamite athleticism, pure muscle and clutch play has been a subtle, yet important, uptick in decision-making. The fourth-year guard is posting career-highs in scoring, assists, and efficiency this season. As a result, the Timberwolves have been near the top of the Western Conference all season long.
Let's break down film and crunch the numbers on Edwards' meteoric rise to superstardom this 2023-24.
The numbers on Anthony Edwards in the pick-and-roll
As a high-volume pick and roll ball handler, it has been essential for Edwards to blossom as a decision-maker. While he is still a work in progress, the production has taken a significant step in the right direction. According to NBA.com tracking data, Edwards' efficiency has been trending upward in a linear fashion until this season’s exponential jump.
As a pick-and-roll ball handler, Edwards came into the league fairly one dimensional. Due to this, Edwards recorded just 0.79 points per possession (PPP) as the ball handler in pick and rolls. On 6.4 possessions per game, the lack of efficiency paired with a young, lesser-talented roster limited the Timberwolves to a 23-49 record. By season's end, Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball stole the Rookie of the Year award in controversial fashion.
The next couple of seasons became vitally important for Edwards' development. Under head coach Chris Finch, Edwards dropped to just 5.7 possessions of pick-and-roll play per game his sophomore season, but his efficiency increased significantly. Registering 0.85 PPP, that difference equates to six more points per 100 possessions! His third year in the league was another big step forward. Ant leapfrogged back up to 6.8 pick-and-roll possessions per game with a much stronger 0.90 PPP. Another consistent, linear progression forward.
This season, however, marks a true sign of superstardom. Recording a career-best 0.97 PPP on a career-high 7.5 possessions/game, Anthony Edwards ranks ninth best in the NBA among all players to have played at least 45 games and run seven or more such possessions per game this season. With Edwards playing his best basketball, the Timberwolves are as well. Currently rocking a 44-20 record, the Wolves have their best team offensive rating ever and Edwards is the main factor for a rather slow offense compared to the modern-day.
Chris Finch on Ant's progression
Amidst Edwards’ productive season, ClutchPoints asked Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch on what is propelling Ant forward in the screen and roll game.
“I think some of it is his combination with Rudy [Gobert] is getting better. He finds Rudy a lot more. His overall awareness of where the plays are gonna be. His finishing has improved, you know, for himself and his foul drawing. It’s a combination of all those three things mostly which is good to see. It was an area where, with as much as the ball is in his hands, as much as he likes to play out of pick and roll, it couldn’t just be a one dimensional thing. We’re getting way more out of it than we ever have.”
To Finch's point, the big factor behind the uptick Edwards' success has been the constant improvement in facilitating for others. With teams focused on shutting him down, the Wolves guard is at his best when he makes the simple and easy play rather than forcing up his own shot. The former number one overall pick has taken that message to heart this season and it’s showing in the film.
Film breakdown on Anthony Edwards' development
While Rudy Gobert is a polarizing player for some, there is no denying how effective of a screener he is. Consistently toward the top of the league in screen assists, Gobert’s selflessness is best rewarded with alley-oop lob passes for the Frenchman to hammer down. Anthony Edwards has been significantly better this season at feeding the big fella.
With Edwards continuing to improve at probing a defense and drawing in the help, lob passes above the rim have become a daunting task to handle when teams are so concerned with Ant’s scoring. In addition to feeding the roller, Edwards' facilitating has reached new peaks the other players external to the initial action.
In the above example, late in a close game, Edwards calmly reads the Memphis Grizzlies' shell pick-and-roll coverage. With Gobert screening Ant to the middle of the floor, the Grizzlies look to blitz him. Gobert promptly slips downhill to the rim. This action forces Luke Kennard to tag in on Gobert's roll from the strong side of the floor.
Edwards, in less than a second, analyzes Kennard's positioning and fires a pass away from where his momentum is bringing him directly to Jaden McDaniels spotting up in the corner. While the physical tools and athleticism Edwards possesses create highlight reel moments, his growth as a decision-maker should be the headliner. Plays like this paint Edwards as ‘up next’ when it comes to true NBA superstardom and being a potential face of the league.
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