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The 22-year-old superstar averaged 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game in 79 regular season appearances, leading the Wolves to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.
Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards has earned All-NBA Second Team honors, it was announced on Inside the NBA on Wednesday night at Target Center ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
The 22-year-old held averages of 25.9 points on 46.1 / 35.7 / 83.6 shooting splits, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists. 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks across 35.1 minutes per game, while playing in 79 of 82 contests for the Timberwolves this season. Edwards led the Wolves to their third straight playoff appearance after Minnesota sat atop the Western Conference standings for the majority of the regular season.
This is the first time Edwards has been named to an All-NBA Team, and the recognition is an extremely lucrative one. Ant’s five-year maximum rookie extension, which kicks in next season, will now jump from taking up 25% of the Wolves’ salary cap next season to 30%; his contract could now be worth nearly $260 million over the next five seasons.
The Oakland City, Atlanta native proved his value as a No. 1 option and leader when he kept his team afloat when fellow All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns suffered a torn left meniscus in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers on March 4. Edwards raised his level, averaging 27.4 points on 45.5 / 31.2 / 82.5 shooting splits, 6.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.4 blocks across 20 contests without Towns throughout the season.
Minnesota went 10-6 over the 16 games KAT missed due to his meniscus surgery, with a trio of very loud wins that had Edwards’ finger prints all over it. The two-time All-Star in the first game without Towns scored 44 points on 18/35 shooting, grabbed six rebounds, dropped three dimes and collected four stocks, including the game-winning block in a win over the Indiana Pacers.
ANTHONY EDWARDS, what a block to end it pic.twitter.com/flqYgACNUh
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) March 8, 2024
Five days later, the Wolves became the first team in NBA history to turn a once-22-point deficit into a 22-point lead in a stunning, 118-100 comeback win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Edwards registered 37 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the win to lead the way.
Anthony Edwards tells TNT’s Stephanie Ready that Minnesota felt this was “statement game” no matter who was on floor for Clippers and that the Wolves put on “a show” in second-half comeback. https://t.co/nslG0Q6TLk
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) March 13, 2024
Then, the former No. 1 pick saved his best for last, quite literally putting the cherry on top with the dunk of the year on John Collins during a sweep of the Utah Jazz in a two-game series.
NAH YOU NEEDA WATCH THIS AGAIN. pic.twitter.com/wraIyHA4Uk
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) March 19, 2024
That win capped of a 4-2 road trip in the first six games without Towns, sending a message to the rest of the league that the Timberwolves were not to be taken lightly, with our without his co-star.
Edwards all season instilled a never say die mentality in the Wolves, who went as he went. The former University of Georgia star was also a crucial part of the Timberwolves’ historic, top-ranked defense, especially in second halves when Edwards often took the challenge of guarding the opponent’s best perimeter scorer during crunch time.
Ant led the Wolves to a 56-26 record — the second-best mark in franchise history — proving doubters wrong all along the way.
Whether he was helping Rudy Gobert acclimate in the Timberwolves’ offense after a tumultuous first season, breathing confidence and belief into Towns both publicly and privately, constantly reminding the world how great his teammates are and why they enable so much of his success, being his authentic self 100% of the time, or taking accountability for his struggles and mistakes, turning idols into rivals, Edwards all season exhibited a masterclass in what leadership looks like, doing it all at the sage, wise old age of 22 as a fourth-year player in the NBA.
He renewed hope in a basketball city desperately pining for a winning NBA team to support, made cynics look like haters, justified the Timberwolves hype train that, by the minute, reaches a speed faster than the minute before, and quite plainly displayed why these aren’t your same old Minnesota Timberwolves.
That has only continued throughout the playoffs, during which Edwards has averaged 28.9 points on 50.4 / 39.8 / 84.3 shooting splits, 6.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists 1.7 steals and 0.6 blocks across 40.1 minutes in 11 games, leading the Wolves to an 8-3 record and series wins over a pair of teams that were favored to end Minnesota’s historic season.
Now, he has an opportunity to take that run to new heights and take the Wolves to their first ever NBA Finals, but Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks stand in their way as the Western Conference Finals gets underway on Wednesday night at Target Center.