Anthony Edwards is one of the fiercest competitors in the NBA right now. The Timberwolves superstar is averaging 29.3 points per game this season and has Minnesota sitting in the No. 5 spot in the West. Ant’s affinity for scoring has always been the focal point of his game. Well, that and his unmatched charisma on the hardwood.
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What’s been even more impressive is how much he’s grown defensively. The 24-year-old baller is using his strength and explosiveness to disrupt passing lanes and take on tougher assignments. He looks like a legit two-way problem, not just a highlight machine. And that improvement on that side of the game is catching the attention of some NBA legends.
Blake Griffin showered the Ant-Man with praise during today’s pre-game coverage on Amazon Prime. The Rim Reaper brought up how not enough talking heads in the league are mentioning how important his defense has become in Minnesota’s success.
“But the one thing I don’t hear talked about enough is how good of a defender he actually is. He’s not a target guy. You don’t look to put him in a ton of actions. You sort of avoid it,” stated Blake. This wasn’t just a bold claim either. The retired six-time All-Star revealed some stats pointing to this area of improvement for Edwards.
“He’s truly a guy who’s doing it on both ends of the floor.”@blakegriffin23 on Anthony Edwards’ defensive growth pic.twitter.com/reOavxKkny
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) February 27, 2026
“He’s second on the team in steals, fourth in deflections. He’s truly a guy who is doing it on both ends of the floor, which is huge for a team.” This is the type of transformation that could finally push Edwards and the Wolves over the edge. The squad has made two straight Western Conference Finals appearances, but have been bounced out each time. Elite defense can certainly change that come May.
“The other thing I love about Ant is just the joy that he plays the game of basketball with, and really, just lives life with. That’s contagious for a team,” added Griffin. That part is pretty well known. Ant has more joy and confidence than some entire nations of people. It’s why many are pointing at him to be the next face of the NBA once LeBron hangs em up.
It’s still a little too early to determine that. Other candidates like Jokic, SGA, or already looked at as defensive gurus. Edwards always had the instensity, but now he’s backing that up with smart defense as opposed to aggressive defense.
We’ll see how well that all holds up. Edwards and the Wolves have the Clippers, Nuggets, and Grizlzlies up next. If he keeps defending like this while carrying the offense, we might stop talking about potential and start talking about arrival. And not just as the next face of the league, but as a legit Finals problem.
