6. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Deep down, I debated intensely with myself about putting Anthony Edwards higher on this list. When it comes to a talent perspective, you can make the argument that there may not be a better shooting guard than Edwards. However, he’s still young (22 years old) and needs to continue to develop before he gets anointed as the next big star to emerge in the Association. In the end, I thought it was probably best to keep him at No. 6.
There’s no need to overreact to the impressive summer he’s had playing for USA Basketball in the FIBA World Cup, though that is encouraging to see. Despite the Minnesota Timberwolves’ inconsistent play during the season, Edwards averaged 25 points, six rebounds, and four assists per game on 46 percent shooting from the field. He’s already proving that he has superstar potential and might be the savior that the Wolves have been waiting for since Kevin Garnett was traded nearly 20 years ago.
If Edwards puts together another impressive offensive season while also carrying the Wolves to the playoffs once again, he’s easily going to be considered a top-5 shooting guard in the NBA, and maybe better.