One key thing that stood out about Anthony Edwards' game in Chicago

With the NBA regular season beginning next week, Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves' starting lineup got their final tune-up of the preseason on Thursday night in Chicago. The Wolves lost the game 126-120, but they had a three-point lead through three quarters and didn't play any of the starters in the fourth.

After some inefficient shooting in his first two preseason outings, Edwards had a strong scoring game with 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting against the Bulls. He also grabbed seven rebounds. But what stood out most about Ant's performance wasn't his scoring, even if he hit a couple baseline midrange shots that were nice to see. It was the way he read the game and passed the ball.

Edwards finished with five assists on the night, but he could've had at least three more on misses by Rudy Gobert near the rim. He also made several passes that weren't assists but led to buckets, including this one that sparked a beautiful sequence of ball movement where all five Minnesota starters touched the rock, capped by a Julius Randle lob to Gobert.

Anthony Edwards drive-and-kick pass + Julius Randle lob pass to Rudy Gobert for the dunk + foul pic.twitter.com/ymxsJpdbwD
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) October 17, 2025

Edwards simply appeared to be in control of the game when the ball was in his hands. He didn't force too many bad shots. He made accurate passes to Gobert and Randle on the interior, and he kicked it to shooters on the perimeter when they were open. Above all else, he seemed to be reading what the Bulls' defense was giving him at a very high level.

Anthony Edwards passing/playmaking reel 10-16-2025 pic.twitter.com/55AuytRwDz
— Trell (@TrellInterlude) October 17, 2025

Over the first five seasons of his career, Edwards has averaged 4.2 assists per game. He's grown in that area of his game, as shown by going from 2.9 assists as a rookie to 5.1 in 2023-24 (though he regressed slightly to 4.5 last year).

He's also shown that there's another level he's capable of tapping into as a playmaker. Edwards' career playoff average for assists is 5.5 in 42 games, including 6.5 in the '23-'24 postseason. In the Western Conference Finals against Dallas that year, he put up 7.8 assists per night. Last year, he had at least eight assists three times in the first round against the Lakers, then tied his regular season career-high with 12 of them in a closeout Game 5 win over the Warriors in the second round.

"I always say the best version of Ant is one that's flirting with a triple-double," head coach Chris Finch said after Edwards had 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists in Game 1 against the Lakers.

Edwards doesn't have a triple-double in the NBA, although he's come quite close on several occasions. If he plays like he did in Chicago on Thursday, it feels inevitable that he'll get his first one this season, and perhaps soon. Edwards has come a long way with his ability to decipher defenses and make the right play.

The Timberwolves need that growth to continue. One of the big questions around their roster heading into this season is at the point guard position, where Mike Conley and Rob Dillingham lie on opposite ends of the age spectrum. And while the question is valid, it also might be slightly overblown. The two players who are going to have the ball in their hands and initiate offense far more than anyone else are Edwards and Julius Randle (who once averaged six assists per game in a season). A lot of Minnesota's playmaking responsibility falls on those two stars as the hubs of Finch's offense.

With Edwards in particular, it feels like the goal should be to go from 4.5 assists per game last season to at least 5.5 this season, matching his career playoff average. 6 or more is well within reach if he sustains his playmaking focus on a nightly basis. Everyone knows Edwards can score. It's the other parts of his game — specifically playmaking and defense — that can take him to that first-team All-NBA, MVP contender level he wants to reach.

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