With just 18 games remaining on the schedule for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards is closing in on one of the most prestigious statistical groups in NBA history: the 30 points per game club.
Only 40 different players in NBA history have averaged 30 points per game in a single season, 16 of which have come since the year 2000. Wilt Chamberlain and Jack Twyman were the first to join the club in 1960, with Elgin Baylor and Oscar Robertson joining the next season in 1961.
Michael Jordan (8)
and Chamberlain (7) have the most 30 points per game seasons and are the only two players in NBA history to average 30 points or more per game for their entire career.
The most recent players to reach the scoring plateau are a pair who have both eliminated the Timberwolves in the last two playoffs: Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Dončić and SGA were the only two players to average 30 or more points last year and are the only two currently on pace to do so again this season.
Edwards is incredibly close to joining the 30 points per game club. He is currently averaging 29.6 points per game, just 21 total points off the pace. Assuming he plays in all 18 remaining games, Edwards will need to average 31.17 points per game the rest of the way to move his scoring total north of the 30 per game mark.
One of Edwards’ best games came recently against the Memphis Grizzlies when he put up 41 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter to put the game away. In the game, Ant scored from all areas of the floor, making seven 3-pointers, three midrange shots, ten points in the paint, and four free throws.
Edwards has increased his scoring output each season in the NBA, going from 19.3 points per game in his rookie season to setting the Timberwolves franchise single-season scoring record with 2,177 points (27.6 per game).
The jump from last season to this one has possibly been his most impressive. Edwards hasn’t just added two points per game to his scoring total; he’s also vastly improved his already high efficiency. Ant has increased his shooting percentage from 2-point and 3-point range, gotten to the free-throw line more, and lowered his turnovers per game.
“I’ve been really happy with it,” Timberwolves Head Coach Chris Finch said of scoring efficiency this season. “Even the mid-range that we talk a lot about has been career highs for him. He’s not gotten away from the things he’s outstanding at, which is getting to the basket and the 3-point shot.”
When digging into the numbers around where Ant’s shots are coming from, it is Finch is correct about his superstar’s shot diet. While the Ant has shifted some of his shot attempts from beyond the arc to the midrange, he is still getting to the rim at the same rate while increasing his shooting percentages from all areas of the floor.
While an increased number of midrange shots usually leads to a decrease in efficiency, Edwards has successfully incorporated it into his game without letting it take over his whole game.
“Smart and clean,” Finch said about Ant’s usage of the midrange. “Take it judiciously and use it when you need it most. I’ve always felt that if he ever started games seeking out the midrange, those were some of his least efficient games, but he hasn’t really done that a ton this season. That would have been more in seasons past.”
There have been games where Edwards takes one or two too many midrange shots, but those instances have been few and far between. Ant has done well balancing the use of the midrange shot and letting it open up other areas of his game. Most notably, Edwards is shooting a much better percentage from both inside the restricted area and from behind the 3-point line.
“Just taking what they give me,” Edwards explained about his shot selection. “Take my shots, and if they give me to pull up three. Take it. They giving me the midrange. Take it.”
While Edwards’ scoring numbers are far from the main goal for the Timberwolves the rest of the season, it is an interesting side plot for fans to track. 30 points per game is a benchmark that almost all of the great scorers have reached, and it often signals that the player has reached a level of superstardom that is above the level of an All-Star or All-NBA player. It shows they are one of the best scorers of their generation.
We’ll see if he can get it done, but knowing Ant, he usually makes those who doubt him look dumb.
