NBA: 4 Obvious takeaways from the highly-anticipated 2024-25 Christmas Day slate

Anthony Edwards is getting the push, not Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

It didn't have to be this way but the NBA clearly had to decide between putting the Oklahoma City Thunder or Minnesota Timberwolves on Christmas Day. In the end, the league decided on Anthony Edwards and the Wolves. The league may never say it, but it's clear they've decided to give Edwards the push and not Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Both players have been trending toward superstar status over the past two seasons. At least for now, it seems the league is trying to help Edwards make that final leap to get there by showcasing him (and the rising Wolves) on Christmas Day.

Edwards has become one of the most dynamic players in the NBA of late. He has all the tools to emerge as a superstar and potentially be one of the faces of the league in the future. This could finally be the year where it all comes together for Edwards.

Could the league's decision simply have come down to the fact that the Wolves made the conference finals last season and not the Thunder? Sure. But the NBA almost never operates in that simple of a nature.