Heading into the season, Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards was seen as a dark horse MVP candidate. At the very least, it felt like Ant-Man would earn his first-ever All-NBA First Team nod — an honor he’s narrowly missed over the past two seasons. By all accounts, Edwards is having the best season of his career, averaging 29.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists while becoming one of the best clutch time players in the league.
However, there is still a very real chance that Edwards ends up on the All-NBA Second Team again (assuming he crosses the games played threshold). And it won’t be because the media is out to get him, but because his defensive impact has been non-existent this season.
As we enter the final stages of the NBA season, talk of awards is starting to heat up. Recently, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps released its NBA MVP Straw Poll, surveying 100 media members. Edwards came eleventh in this poll.
The ten players ahead of him are: Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brunson, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham, Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Ant must strengthen his defense to earn All-NBA First Team honors
Look, I’d like Ant higher, but there’s no denying that Edwards’ defense is hurting his All-NBA First Team (and MVP) candidacy. The 65 rule jeopardizes the chances of key players including Jokic, Doncic and Wembanyama. As such, Edwards has a clearer path to earning an All-NBA First Team spot.
Nevertheless, his defensive intensity needs to improve before he gets this honor, and this straw poll proves that people are taking note.
Edwards has all the tools to be an elite two-way player, but he hasn’t been able to make it happen throughout the regular season, especially without the ball. He has bad habits, including looking at the ball, and is often late in rotations. Defensive consistency has been a major issue throughout Edwards’ career, but it has never been more evident than this season.
Notably, according to Cleaning the Glass, the Wolves defense is at 7.7 points per 100 possessions worse with Ant on the floor. Additionally, he ranks in the 27th percentile in help defense and 32nd percentile in ball-screen navigation, according to Basketball Index.
Without a doubt, Edwards’ attacking greatness is the main reason the Wolves are even in the top six. However, his frequent defensive lapses have also prevented the Wolves from standing out as a clear top-three team in the West.
A lot can change between now and the end of the season. I certainly wouldn’t rule out Edwards earning an All-NBA First Team spot. However, to achieve this goal, Ant’s defense must improve, otherwise the voters will (rightly) blame him for this. Fortunately, Edwards has every opportunity to turn this problem around and lead the Wolves to a late-season surge.
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