3 Rising Stars participants who are future NBA All-Stars: Anthony Edwards
When the draft was held for the Rising Stars competition, the first pick was ultimately Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards. It’s not the first time the first selection of a draft was bestowed upon him.
He was also the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, a decision met with some criticism for people who saw a better prospect in LaMelo Ball. Two years later, Edwards’ ambitions of being the face of the league appear to be realistic.
After being named to the All-Rookie First Team last year, Edwards has been even better in 2021-22. He’s averaging 21.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game this season. He’s also improved his three-point shooting, hitting 35.7 percent from deep.
Chris Finch trusts Edwards to play a lot of minutes and shoulder a heavy load for the team. His 34.8 minutes per game rank 16th in the NBA. He finished in the top 20 in total minutes as a rookie and is on pace to do so again as a sophomore.
Edwards has also shown some strides on the defensive end, becoming one of the best pocket-pickers in the league. The guard is averaging 1.5 steals per game, ranking 12th in the NBA.
There hasn’t been a lot of national chatter about Edwards being an All-Star snub, but he was certainly worthy of a selection to the team, even if it’s difficult to decide who would get axed. At his current trajectory, Edwards seems likely to break the All-Star threshold as soon as next year.