Anthony Edwards recently returned home from a promotional tour in China for his new signature shoe, the AE 2s. Cameras followed his every move.
.@theantedwards_ at the Great Wall pic.twitter.com/adrt3Jy96b
— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) August 26, 2025
Edwards was the center of attention as he stood on one of the 7 Wonders of the World. He was in the middle of the stairs, posing for a photo with both arms extended in either direction. The crowd behind him was staring. Some of them had their phones out.
It doesn’t matter where the 24-year-old phenom goes; the spotlight follows him closely. But he isn’t focused on that. Edwards wants to win a championship. With two Conference Finals appearances under his belt, Edwards is ready to hoist the champion’s hardware now.
To do that, he must build off his career year from last season. How can Edwards, a player already ahead of the curve, take another step to an even higher, potentially MVP-level?
The answer will likely boil down to the intangibles that don’t always show up in the box score.
Edwards’ stats have been on a steady rise over the last five years. In 2022, Ant averaged 21 points per game. He averaged 24.6 in 2023 and put up 26 in 2024. Last season, that number jumped to 27.6. Edwards could become a 30-point-per-game guy this year. That would be a step forward, but it isn’t the most important step for his team’s success.
Stats aren’t the only way to measure a player’s production. Still, Edwards’ points-per-game metrics do a good job of showing his scoring maturation. He took a big scoring jump last season, averaging a career high in points. However, he only averaged 0.9 more field goal attempts than he did in 2023.
How did Edwards take such a step forward without taking considerably more shots? He made a league-high 320 three-point attempts on a career-high 39.5% shooting.
Edwards’ three-point shot was a constant all year, and a welcome surprise for a player who had been at his best when attacking the rim. He connected on at least three triples in 62 of his 79 regular-season games. Ant’s long-ball unlocked Minnesota’s offense from the outset, allowing him to play effectively off Julius Randle, who loves to operate in the mid-range.
Before he was a 40% three-point shooter, Edwards could already dribble, drive, and dunk over anyone. He could already take over games in an instant. He could already lock down defensively against anyone in a one-on-one situation. Now, Edwards can shoot. He’s the complete package with roughly five years left until he hits his physical “prime.”
That’s a scary thought for the rest of the league.
Which teams should be the most concerned? Western Conference contenders like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Denver Nuggets.
There’s a good chance they will have to send Edwards and the Wolves home before they can make the Finals. Not only that, but those are the types of teams against which Ant is the most dangerous.
Off the court, Edwards may not care about the spotlight. But on the court, playing against the best teams or in the biggest cities, Edwards welcomes the attention. He lives for the moment. He performs the best against the league’s best or in high-pressure situations. Edwards possesses that killer mindset that every team wants in their No. 1 star.
Edwards’ next step is figuring out how to maintain that mindset every night, regardless of how good the opponent is or their defensive strategy against him. That’s what separates him from a budding superstar and a legitimate MVP candidate.
The numbers say that Edwards had no issue creating his own energy last year. He averaged 27.2 points against the 15 teams that made the playoffs and 28.6 points against the 14 teams that didn’t. However, there was a level of unpredictability to his game last year. For all his success, Ant’s mindset, focus, and energy entering each game occasionally wavered more than it should have.
Edwards’s lack of consistency doesn’t always show up in the box score. Still, he had 25 games last year where he shot below 40% from the floor. The Wolves were 10-15 in those contests. That isn’t overwhelmingly concerning, though. Edwards, like any star, is bound to have his fair share of games where he doesn’t have it on offense.
What separates the stars from the superstars is that when a superstar has a poor shooting game or the defense is triple-teaming them, they will find other ways to contribute. Usually, that means the superstar is passing more while remaining engaged in the offense to keep the defense on its heels. That superstar can also put more of an emphasis on defense.
What separates superstars from MVP-level players is that the MVPs do it every game.
Therein lies the next step Ant should be looking to take. Throughout last season, Edwards had streaks during games, or even entire games, where he seemed dejected. Usually, that came when the energy in the building wasn’t at a playoff-like caliber. Not all the time, though.
Edwards appeared to be a shell of himself in Game 4 of the Conference Finals at Target Center against the Thunder. He only took 13 shots, primarily due to the relentless defensive attention the Thunder threw at him.
Ant’s offense wasn’t disappointing — he did all he could by keeping the ball moving. However, he seemed to mentally check out on defense. He was a step behind pretty much right from the start, allowing the defense to attack him, primarily off the ball, with little resistance.
Can Edwards consistently reach a level where he is a positive threat, regardless of the number of shots he takes or outside factors? And how realistic is it that he takes that step? Ant has the talent to take over a game offensively, lock down defensively, and carry a team for an entire season. He has done all of that, so perhaps this “step” I am writing about is unrealistic?
However, I don’t think it is. Not by the standard that Ant has already set for himself.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, was incredibly consistent last year. He averaged a league-high 32.7 points, scoring under 20 points only once in 76 games.
Asking Edwards to average 32.7 points per game would not be fair. I don’t think he needs to do that for his team to win the Finals. However, Ant becoming a player who enters each game with the same high levels of energy and focus, whether it be against the Nuggets in April or the Hornets in January, will take his game to another tier of excellence.
It’s a tall order, but Edwards has proven he is ready for the challenge. If he hopes to win a championship as early as this year, turning up the spotlight on his team brighter than ever before, the next step Ant must take revolves around his consistency.