Baron Davis isn’t sold on Anthony Edwards’ current offensive approach, and he thinks the Minnesota Timberwolves star may be part of the problem as the team heads into the 2026-27 season.
Minnesota’s offseason has given the roster a very different look, with LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga joining Edwards to form a group that looks dangerous on paper. Add in Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert up front, plus what the source describes as solid bench support, and the Timberwolves appear built to handle the Western Conference grind.
But Davis, during a recent appearance on “ Gil’s Arena,” zeroed in on Edwards’ style of play and argued that the Wolves’ star has drifted too far toward the perimeter.
“I love LaMelo Ball, so I’ve got to rock with that. My problem is Anthony Edwards.
That’s my problem with Minnesota… I love him. I love Ant-Man.
I love his game, but he’s my problem with Minnesota because Ant stopped getting downhill.”
Davis said Edwards still has the talent to put on a show, but wants to see more force at the rim and more pressure on defenders.
“As a superstar, you’ve got to put pressure on the defense. He be out there playing with people, balling, and getting his s-t off.
His three was popping this year. But like, for him, it’s got to be like, when I go watch you play, I want to see a show.
Right? I want to see a show.
Like, I want to see you dunk on somebody. You know, all the s-t that you’re doing?
That has to be magnified, and I think he got to be one to get downhill.”
The criticism isn’t coming out of nowhere. Edwards has long been known as a high-end athlete with a wide offensive bag, but the concern, as Davis framed it, is that the finishing part of his game has taken a back seat to his jumper.
That said, the numbers do show how much Edwards leans on the three. He has attempted more than 6.5 threes per game in each of his five NBA seasons, and his 10.4 attempts per game in 2024-25 were a career high. Last season, he hit 39.9% from deep on 8.4 attempts per game, so the efficiency has been there.
Still, Davis pushed the issue further by tying it to toughness and leadership.
“He’s got to be tougher than Jaden McDaniels. He has to be the toughest person on this team.
Not saying he got to be raw, but he got to be a lot tougher, man. He got to go take some hits.
He got to go out, and he’s got to be more physical. Yeah, he fell in love with the three.
And I don’t know if that’s going to kind of get you over the hump when he doesn’t get to the hole as much as he should.”
Davis also pointed to the difference between Edwards and the league’s other elite scorers, especially when it comes to getting to the foul line.
“[For] Anthony Edwards to get to MVP, he’s got to develop what the f-k Shai is doing,” Davis added. “Shai knows how to draw fouls.
Ant doesn’t know how to draw fouls. You don’t have to go to the hole to dunk.
It’s a setup.”
Edwards posted a career-best 28.8 points per game last season, along with 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 48.9% from the field. Even so, he averaged just 7.2 free-throw attempts per game, below Luka Doncic’s 10.1 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 9.0.
There is another layer here, though. Edwards spent last season as the Wolves’ primary facilitator, and that workload may have nudged him toward a more perimeter-heavy approach. With an elite point guard now in the backcourt, he could slide back into a more natural scoring role.
Whether that leads to more downhill pressure remains to be seen. But Davis’ message was clear: if Edwards can make defenses foul him earlier and more often, Minnesota’s star could unlock another level.
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Still, Goberts future does not feel fully settled. He has a player option on the final year of his contract, and what happens this season could leave the Wolves staring at a tough choice between bringing him back on another deal, preserving cap flexibility and continuing to balance his place with the growth of the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]