Since he entered the league, the buzz around Anthony Edwards hasn't stopped. Even though he is only 24, he has already led the Minnesota Timberwolves to two straight Western Conference Finals, something the franchise hadn't accomplished in 20 years.
He has also won an Olympic gold medal and is a multi-time All-Star, but his ultimate goal is lifting the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Shams Charana reported how Ant-Man has decided to elevate his game to another level heading into the upcoming season.
"This offseason, Anthony Edwards ' No. 1 focus, a new area of development, and that's the post-up game," Charania said. "The mid post, the high post, low post, establishing a midrange game and the fadeaway shot from the post ala Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant . I'm told he's been watching a lot of tape of Kobe and MJ."
"My understanding is Minnesota believes this part of his game potentially will become a go-to element, especially as the game stagnates down the stretch, gets slower, particularly come playoff time," Charania added. "Anthony Edwards has understood he needs to take the next step in his game if this team is going to take the next step."
From the moment he came into the league, the comparisons to Michael Jordan haven't stopped – with fans often pulling up clips of him making nearly identical moves as MJ. While Edwards can certainly score in various ways, the impression is that the inside game is where he has the most room for improvement.
Looking only at last season, we arrive at an interesting conclusion as the Wolves guard took the fewest shots from the midrange. From 15-19 feet, he attempted 91 shots; from 20-24 feet, he took 328, according to NBA.com . His biggest volume came from attacking the rim directly with 409 such attempts, while he also launched 531 from three-point range.
It's clear that for some, Edwards' game can feel one-dimensional – in most cases, he's either going all the way to the rim or pulling up from deep. While he is solid from midrange, he doesn't use it much. If he adds that weapon to his offensive bag, it would also give his team a new dimension. Edwards also wants to finally enter that first tier of NBA superstars in the upcoming season, and NBA analyst Jon Krawczynski says he still has work to do to be considered the best .
"He has been off the social media grid and working on his game. He hasn't had any international play this summer for the first time in a couple of years, which I think has allowed him to buckle down," Krawczynski said .
"He was pretty forthright after the loss to the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals that he's still got a big step to make to get to the level of a Shai, or a Luka. I think he still came into the summer believing it was a little too easy to take him away from the game," he added.
The very fact that he's been studying Kobe Bryant and Jordan tape shows that Edwards isn't joking around. If he manages to bring his midrange and post-game up to the level of his idol, Kevin Durant , that could raise the Timberwolves' ceiling significantly in the years to come.
Edwards is still young enough, but the fact that he already has such a hunger for improvement, is eager to prove he's the best, and is learning from the very best to get there speaks volumes about his elite mentality. While he's had some off-court issues, on the floor, he has always delivered, and starting next season, we may see an improved, even more dangerous version of the 2020 No.1 overall pick in the draft.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
