The Minnesota Timberwolves are a franchise that has been plagued with mediocrity for years. Thanks to a poorly run front office and a relatively low appeal to free agents, the Wolves have perpetually struggled to be good.
Fortunately, that could be about to change with the rise of Anthony Edwards. The No. 1 overall pick has emerged as a star for the Wolves and has the potential to become a generational talent.
In a recent piece for The Athletic, Timberwolves President Tim Connelly revealed his feelings on Ant and their plans for the future with him at the helm.
Edwards will help Gobert as well. He will combine with Jaden McDaniels to give the Wolves two legitimately stout perimeter defenders, something Gobert did not have during those playoff flameouts in Utah. And the Wolves are going to continue pushing Edwards to be as dynamic on defense as he is on offense.
“We think he can be a transcendent player,” Connelly said. “We think he can be one of the best two-way players in the league. We think he can be an all-league defender. That’s a lot to put on his shoulders, but if we didn’t think he was capable of that, we wouldn’t be challenging him.”
As much as Edwards still has to learn, he feels like the work he is putting in this summer is setting him up for a special season. Everything has been geared toward a breakout season, an All-Star season, one that doesn’t end in Round 1.
“I do think he can be one of the best players in the world,” Connelly said. “Not just an elite guy, but a guy who is mentioned on one hand; that level of talent.”
With Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, and D’Angelo Russell, the Timberwolves (at least, on paper) have one of the best and deepest rosters in basketball. They will be poised to make some serious noise over the next few seasons and beyond.
But for the Wolves to really make the leap, Edwards will have to kick it into another gear. With averages of 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game on 44% shooting last season, Ant will have to get those numbers up if the Wolves are to be taken seriously in the West.
Fortunately, he seems more than up for the task.
