Apparently Anthony Edwards didn't get the memo that Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic would be out of action against his Minnesota Timberwolves because it was clear that Ant was looking to send a message on Thursday night. And that message goes something like this… I'm the best damn player in the world. 

Coming off a 23-point defeat on Tuesday night at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, another emerging contender in the Western Conference, the Timberwolves looked to return to form against another West contender. And Anthony Edwards was going to make damn sure that went according to plan, even though, as Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley pointed out after the game, an explosive start from Anthony Edwards was NOT part of the team's plan.

“No, it was not the gameplan,” Conley shared with Alan Horton of Timberwolves radio. “That's just Ant. Ant being Ant. I think he felt some type of way about the last game & took it upon himself to lead.”

Anthony Edwards came out assertive, scoring 14 points in the first quarter, pouring in eight more in the second quarter and then matching his 22 first-half points with another 22 in the second half, totaling a season-high 44 points on 12-for-23 shooting plus 14-for-18 at the charity stripe.

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It's clear that Ant's experience playing for Team USA over the summer in the FIBA World Cup has led to a leap on both ends of the floor. Right now, you could very easily make the case that Anthony Edwards is the best player on the best team in the NBA. The Wolves currently own the best record in the Western Conference and the best defensive rating in the entire league.

There are surely other factors at work here to explain why Minnesota has gone from a play-in team last year to the class of the Western Conference through two months of the season — including but not limited to Rudy Gobert's return to form as a defensive force, Karl-Anthony Towns' willingness to fall in line as the No. 2 option, Mike Conley's steady leadership at the point, a well-established 10-man rotation — but ultimately, the Wolves will go as far as Anthony Edwards can carry them.