Anthony Edwards plans to be 'more serious' about one area of his game this season

Edwards has earned votes for the All-Defensive team each of the past three seasons, but has not come close to earning a spot on the first or second team.

May 20, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) controls the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) in the second quarter during game one of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Anthony Edwards has three goals in mind for the upcoming NBA season: MVP, championship, and All-Defensive team.

Over the past two seasons, Minnesota has transformed into one of the more dominant defensive units in the league. Veteran center, and four-time Defensive Player of the Year, Rudy Gobert has helped reshape the Wolves' defense since his arrival in 2022. Edwards, 24, has steadily improved the defensive side of his game, finishing the 2023-24 season with the third-highest Defensive Win Shares, behind only Rudy Gobert and Nikola Jokic. However, Ant admits earning the Defensive Player of the Year award may be a bit out of reach at the moment.

"I really don't think I'm going to be able to win Defensive Player of the Year," said Ant on Wednesday. "I've got two of the best defenders on my team, so it's going to be hard for me to win Defensive Player of the Year. I don't want to take away from those guys. As long as my impact is there every night, I should be OK."

However, that doesn't mean he doesn't want to be recognized for his defense.

"As long as I make an All-Defensive team, that means something," Edwards continued. "But Defensive Player of the Year will probably be hard for me. MVP and championship, that's the goal."

Even when the advanced analytics rated Edwards' defense well, he has never earned votes for the Defensive Player of the Year award. He has earned several votes each of the past three seasons for the All-Defensive team, though he's never come close to being named to either the first or second teams.

Edwards, who has stated he wanted to earn All-Defensive honors in the past, admits he's taking the chase for those honors "more serious" heading into the 2025-26 season.

"We are trying to get back to the No. 1 defense in the league and I know it starts with me. Especially my pressure on the ball. I can't guard one game, and not guard the next game because we're playing somebody, you know, who is not up to par. I got to be ready every night and I'm going to take pride in that," said Edwards. "I told my teammates to hold me accountable, coaches included."

Minnesota's defense led the league in points allowed (106.5) and defensive rating (109.0) during the 2023-24 season. However, those figures dipped slightly last season to 109.3 and 111.5, respectively, which were the fifth and sixth best marks in those categories in the NBA. If the Wolves are to get back to the top, it will be with Edwards setting the tone for the organization.