The evolution of Anthony Edwards‘ game through his first 6.5 seasons in the NBA has been uniquely linear. Every season, Edwards has found an element in his game to take to the next level.
When Edwards entered the NBA in 2020, everyone knew that he had the potential to be an elite scorer. He flashed shot creation as a prep star, and in his lone season at the University of Georgia, he showcased the upside to be a primary driving force of an NBA team’s offense.
Edwards’ scoring translated quickly to the next level. However, the biggest development in his game was the transformation of his tertiary skills into a more well-rounded threat. All of which are a result of his scoring acumen.
Once Edwards became more comfortable as a scorer, he meaningfully improved his three-point efficiency and sustained it ever since. Furthermore, because Edwards drew so much defensive attention due to his well-rounded scoring, he began to hone his court mapping and playmaking skills.
In the off-season, Anthony Edwards stated he was looking to experiment with his mid-range scoring, which he saw as the next step in his development. Edwards’ success in the mid-range is a result of his two-point scoring efficiency.
Edwards’ shot attempts naturally increased after his first two seasons in the league. However, his two-point efficiency has remained around 50% until this year, when he took a leap.
Edwards has been a proven scorer early in his career. Still, this season’s mark of 56.1% on 2P field goals has been an outlier compared to his career average of 50.7% coming into the 2025-26 season.
As he nears his prime, Edwards, 24, has naturally developed into a better player. Still, given how much the Wolves rely on him offensively, a +5.4% jump is nothing short of incredible.
Anthony Edwards has always talked about rounding out his game, but this has been the season that everything inside the arc has fully come together. It has been subtle, but Edwards has gradually improved his two-point efficiency. Most of it has been due to his mid-range scoring slowly catching up to his proven rim-scoring.
Edwards deserves all the credit for staying true to his word and improving his mid-range scoring efficiency this season. It has also matched the eye test. He has had fans in awe of his impressive back shoulder turn, fading jumpers, and numerous displays of footwork with his defender on his back.
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Still, Edwards’ largest leap is a result of his rim FG% jumping back up to a career-high 72.5% this season, after he had a down year last season, when he regressed to 63.4%. Linear development and scoring data are incredibly difficult to sustain. Therefore, it’s remarkable that Edwards has found the balance within his blend of inside-the-arc scoring diet.
Anthony Edwards is attempting a career high of 7.1 non-rim 2P field-goals this season, and he’s also shooting a career high 44.8% on those attempts. This year is Edwards’s first season with a non-rim 2P FG% over 40%, and it marks a 5.8% improvement over 39.1%, his previous career high.
Therefore, Edwards is on track to set career highs in rim FG%, non-rim 2P FG%, and overall 2P FG%. All just a season after he went nuclear from behind the 3P arc and finished with numbers and efficiency that rivaled some of Steph Curry’s best.
There’s still half of the season to play. However, Edwards’ ability to continue to grow as a true three-level scorer and once again showcase his historic linear development to this point cannot go unnoticed.