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One Achievement is Necessary for Timberwolves to Win it All
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- One Achievement is Necessary for Timberwolves to Win it All
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The past two seasons the Minnesota Timberwolves have found themselves coming up just short of the first title in franchise history. Chris Finch has taken his team to consecutive Western Conference Finals, but neither of them have been real competitive .
Finished off in five games by both the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder , the Timberwolves need a bit more. Anthony Edwards has been everything the franchise could have hoped for and more.
Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The reality though, is that Edwards needs to find the next level, and at just 24 years old it's not crazy to think it's still coming.
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Anthony Edwards excellence the key to a MN Timberwolves title
As Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell once said, "You need to be at your best when your best is required." Anthony Edwards has often been amazing, but the best of what is to come has still yet to be achieved. ESPN's Zach Kram pointed out a reality that the Minnesota Timberwolves must seek if they want to win it all.
Anthony Edwards keeps creeping up the rankings of best players in the NBA. In 2022-23, he made his first All-Star team as a third-year player. In 2023-24, he made second-team All-NBA, finishing seventh in the voting. In 2024-25, he made second-team All-NBA again but did one spot better by finishing sixth in the vote.
On a related note, the past 21 NBA championshave had a current or recent first-team All-NBA honoree; every title-winner since the 2004 Pistons has needed a top-5 player to lead the way to the promised land. Edwards isn't quite there yet. But at 24 years old, he's certainly capable of making that jump.
Coming off consecutive conference finals losses, the Timberwolves have much to work out this season — replacing Nickeil Alexander-Walker , managing Mike Conley 's workload in his late 30s, incorporating youngsters — but the most important development would be for Edwards to take one more step forward. He needs to become a bona fide All-NBA first-teamer, which is the proven path for the best player on a championship team.
Each of the past two seasons Anthony Edwards earned All-NBA Second Team honors. He has earned three-straight trips to the All-Star Game, and has twice earned consideration for Clutch Player of the Year.
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The MVP award has alluded Edwards thus far, but you best believe he's aware of that fact. The Timberwolves guard has turned in consecutive seventh-place finishes for the award. The further he can vault himself up that level of consideration, the more likely he lands an All-NBA First Team spot.
Last season Edwards played 79 games for the third consecutive year. He averaged a career-best 27.6 points per game. Edwards shot 44.7% from the field and focused on his deep ball making 39.5% of the attempts from downtown.
Related: Timberwolves Considering Several Players for Final Roster Spot
There is no denying that Edwards is already a superstar. He's just entering the prime of his career though, and the next step could be something revolutionary.
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A new level for Anthony Edwards may be unmatched
I'm not going to be the one to tell you Edwards is Michael Jordan's son. I'm certainly not going to deny that the game looks eerily similar though.
This Anthony Edwards-Michael Jordan side-by-side is wild 🤯 pic.twitter.com/uNVkNAIXvB
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) May 11, 2024
Ant hit the Jordan shrug 🔥 pic.twitter.com/YkWOC8snAv
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 7, 2024
Edwards entered the NBA at 19 years old. Jordan left North Carolina two years later . Although the Bulls legend did land a All-NBA First Team selection as a 23-year-old, it was at 24 that he won his first MVP award.
It's not surprising that it takes a level of learning and adaptation even for the best players on the planet to acclimate at the highest level. Edwards has already shown plenty for the MN Timberwolves, but the next phase in his evolution could be the one that people share tall tales about for decades to come.
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