Anthony Edwards didn’t dance around it when asked who pushes him the most right now: Victor Wembanyama.
For a player who’s already built an All-NBA-level reputation at just 25, Edwards has plenty of reasons to feel like the league is in his hands. He’s in only his sixth NBA season, and he already owns two trips to the Western Conference Finals. That kind of résumé brings expectations with it, and Minnesota was chasing a third straight WCF appearance in 2026 before San Antonio shut that door.
The Timberwolves fell to the surging Spurs in that playoff series, and Wembanyama was the centerpiece of the matchup. What came out of it looked bigger than a single postseason result. It felt like the early shape of a Western Conference rivalry, with Edwards on one side and Wembanyama on the other.
Edwards made clear that the Spurs star is more than just a problem to solve - he’s a reason to sharpen everything.
"As of right now, probably Wemby. I mean he’s 7’5”, so I just gotta find ways to get around him. You know, I got to try and outthink him because he’s so much taller than me,"
That’s a direct acknowledgment of just how difficult Wembanyama is to deal with. At 7'5", he changes the math for everyone, and Edwards’ answer says plenty about the challenge he presents even to one of the league’s best players.
The larger picture is hard to miss. The NBA keeps tilting back toward the giants, with Wembanyama and Nikola Jokic leading that charge.
Edwards is still one of the sport’s elite talents, but the playoff loss to Wembanyama showed how steep the climb can be. And if the last few years are any indication, Spurs-Timberwolves may be a matchup worth circling again and again.
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