For Wolves to break through, Anthony Edwards must make an MVP-level leap

Anthony Edwards has already climbed rungs most players spend a decade chasing. He’s become an All-Star, a franchise centerpiece, a playoff force who can go toe-to-toe with the best players alive on the biggest stage. He has shown he can take over fourth quarters, silence arenas, and deliver the kind of moments that make you believe a superstar is being born right in front of you.

But for the Minnesota Timberwolves to go anywhere they haven’t already been, he must become something more – something bigger, something definitive.

If the Wolves want to replicate or surpass the success of their previous two seasons of making the Western Conference Finals, Anthony Edwards has to rise into the undisputed top-five players in the world and deliver an MVP-level campaign. It’s the simplest equation in Minnesota’s season, and also the most demanding one.
Wherever Edwards goes, the Wolves go.

This is not a criticism. It’s a reflection of the standard he has already set.

Currently, Minnesota is running it back with the same core with Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Julius Randle, and Donte DiVincenzo. They’re banking on continuity once more, trusting that their identity, defense, and experience will continue to position them among the league’s elite. But continuity can only take you so far when the rest of the NBA keeps getting better at faster speeds than any era ever before.

The Wolves know it. Edwards knows it. The leap that pushes Minnesota from “very good” to “undeniably great” must come from the player most capable of delivering it.

The need for a new level

Over the past two years, we saw glimpses of the best version of Anthony Edwards – a relentless downhill attacker, a dynamic scorer in isolation, a growing two-way force capable of changing the tenor of an entire game, and most recently, a volume three-point shooter. Edwards already showed he can be the best player on a playoff team, the kind who produces big-time performances under the brightest lights.

But with superstardom comes a new challenge: consistency.

Not the normal kind – the elite kind. The level of consistency reached by players who live in the top tier of the league: Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic. These are players who have almost eradicated the concept of a “bad game.” Even when they struggle, they dominate. Even when shots don’t fall, they find ways to control possessions, bend defenses, and dictate outcomes.

That’s the level the Wolves need Edwards to reach.

The Wolves have been one of the league’s premier defenses, but offensively they can grind to a halt. That’s where Edwards must elevate them. When his jumper isn’t falling –   and it hasn’t been consistently falling at times – he has to find new ways to bend defenses. He needs to attack, get to the rim, settle into rhythm midrange shots, get to the line, generate momentum, and use his gravity to create looks for others.

Every elite scorer eventually learns that shotmaking alone can’t dictate their impact. It has to go deeper than that. For Minnesota to keep climbing, Edwards must become the kind of superstar whose influence transcends his jump shot.

Why a “go-to move” matters

Every great scorer eventually discovers not just what they can do, but what they can do every single night – consistently. The move that is immune to fatigue, gameplan, matchups, or defensive schemes. A shot that becomes automatic because it’s been mastered so thoroughly that even the defense knows it’s coming – and still can’t stop it.

For Edwards, the next evolution might be exactly that: developing a signature, go-to scoring move.

This could take the shape of more post-up fadeaway jumpers – something he already flashes but hasn’t fully leaned into. With his strength, footwork, and explosiveness, a polished post midrange package could unlock a completely different version of his offensive dominance. Think Michael Jordan. Think Kobe Bryant. Shots that become “butter,” the kind where the crowd knows it’s good the moment it leaves the hand.

A signature shot would not only give Edwards a consistent scoring anchor; it would change how defenses scheme. It would force double teams, open passing windows, and elevate his playmaking simply by existing.

It would give Minnesota the offensive stability they have lacked during the toughest stretches of games. It would let Edwards control tempo, dictate matchups, and slow games down when everything feels chaotic.

Most importantly, it would give him the kind of unstoppable tool that the very best players in the world rely on – the kind that makes defenses helpless. Something like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s midrange mastery and his two-foot plant; Nikola Jokic’s touch in the paint for short and long floaters and hook shots; Giannis Antetokounmpo’s relentless driving to the rim; Kevin Durant’s pull-up jumper; Luka Doncic’s step back and pivot steps; and Stephen Curry’s off-ball movement and relocation shooting.

Minnesota’s ceiling and the ‘leap’ chase for Edwards

There’s a fair argument that Minnesota may have reached its ceiling as a complete roster. Their defensive identity is elite. Their depth is strong. Their chemistry is real. Gobert and McDaniels anchor one of the toughest defensive backbones in basketball. Naz Reid remains a luxury most teams don’t have. Mike Conley is a steadying presence who keeps everything organized. Julius Randle brings shot creation, rebounding, and physicality.

But when the postseason arrives, stars separate themselves – and separate teams.

That’s why Minnesota’s future rests on Edwards’ ability to make that leap.
Not because he hasn’t already been great, but because he must now become great every single night.

If Edwards averages 30 points per game or more, if he masters a go-to move, if he reaches that superstar comfort level where the game slows down and every shot feels like it’s going in and becomes second nature – then Minnesota’s ceiling rises with him. Suddenly, they’re no longer a strong playoff contender. They become a legitimate championship threat.

Every champion in recent memory had an undisputed top-five guy in the league at the point of their title run:

• Shai and the Thunder
• Tatum and the Celtics
• Jokic and the Nuggets
• Steph and the Warriors
• Giannis and the Bucks
• LeBron and the Lakers
• Kawhi and the Raptors

The Wolves want to join that company – but that requires Edwards becoming that kind of a player.

What makes this moment for Edwards so compelling is that he has already shown he can reach these heights. The playoff runs, the highlight-reel moments, the takeover games, and the bursts of all-time-level shotmaking.

But now comes the harder part – turning flashes into a foundation.

This is where superstars become megastars – being a top-5 player in the NBA. This is where talent becomes legacy. This is where a young phenom becomes the defining force of a franchise.

And if Edwards embraces this next step – if he masters consistency, adds a signature move, deepens his offensive reads, and becomes the top-five player he can be – then the Wolves won’t just remain one of the league’s best stories: They’ll become something much bigger and become a team with a real chance.

Minnesota can continue refining the pieces around him. They can continue to defend at an elite level. They can continue relying on their depth and structure.

But their future ultimately hinges on the evolution of their brightest star.

Anthony Edwards doesn’t just hold the keys to Minnesota’s success – he is the key. And if he rises to that top-five tier, the Wolves’ championship window will crack wide open and place them into the best of the best in the league for years to come.