The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards is one of the most promising young stars in the NBA. With just two years of pro experience under his belt, the Ant Man has already achieved some incredible things and shown himself to be a force in this league.
There are some, however, who undervalue his ability and don’t fully recognize how special his talents are. You can count certain (anonymous) NBA executives as part of this group of people.
In a preseason poll that followed up on a poll conducted in January, 15 NBA executives were asked who they believe to be the top players in the league that will be under the age of 25 by the start of the season.
Luka Doncic received the most votes, while Jayson Tatum, Ja Morant, and Evan Mobley rounded out the top four, leaving Anthony Edwards to occupy the 5th spot.
Edwards being the fifth most voted player in the poll is a far better result than the one he received in January, where he ended up with the ninth most votes. However, it still underrates how good he is heading into the 2022-23 season.
Edwards Is A Top 4 Player Under 25
While it’s good that NBA execs have woken up a bit and remembered that Anthony Edwards is far better than the ninth-best player under age 25, they’re still putting too many players ahead of him.
Yes, Evan Mobley was fantastic in his rookie season. But his play in just one season wasn’t enough to surpass the accomplishments that Ant has accrued over the last two years of professional play.
Mobley scored 15 points per game and grabbed 8.3 rebounds while shooting 51% from the field last season. Very solid numbers for a rookie.
But part of why Mobley’s field goal percentage was so high is that he took over 65% of his shots from within 10 feet of the rim — very high percentage looks that he’s expected to make. Anthony Edwards’ career field goal percentage of 43% might look less impressive, but he’s taking far more difficult shots on average.
It’s also worth noting that many rookies who have a fantastic first season can run into a bit of a sophomore slump in their second year, and we’re yet to see if that happens for Mobley. For Edwards, his sophomore season saw him improve upon his rookie campaign, and help lead his team to the playoffs.
We have to remember that this isn’t a question of who could be better in the long-term, it’s a matter of who’s the best right now. Anthony Edwards has a clear argument over Mobley, if not others listed between one and three. He remains…
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