A lot of people are having an issue with Anthony Edwards spamming 3s this season like it’s NBA 2K. But “F–k them”, that’s what Ant-Man said when asked about the criticism. With all his athleticism, dynamism, and showmanship, the Timberwolves guard decided to fix his 3-pts shooting throughout the summer. And when you’re with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant for months during the Olympics, that’s the best thing to add to the bag. But no, it was not them who actually made Anthony Edwards a fluent scorer from beyond the 3-point line.

Only two players have made 50 or more 3s in the first nine games of an NBA season: Steph Curry and Anthony Edwards.

Edwards put himself on that list after drilling nine 3-pointers in Friday night’s blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers. The already staggering number will look even more remarkable considering Edwards did not play in the fourth quarter. This brought his season total to 50 made 3s, a mark that leads the league and is the third-most made 3s through the first nine games of an NBA season. He now sits behind Curry’s 53 made 3s in 2023-24 and the Golden State Warriors star’s 55 in 2018-19.

Through the first nine games, Edwards is attempting 11.6 shots per game from downtown. That’s good enough to shatter his previous career high of 8.4 3-point attempts per game in 2021-22. His 48.1% shooting percentage from deep is also noticeably higher than any previous percentage in his career. The previous best was a 36.9% mark from 3 in 2022-23. After the win over the Trail Blazers, Edwards discussed the story behind his successful shooting.

“Was talking to KD after a practice, like, trying to figure out my footwork for my shot. And, that’s why my shot was up and down in the Olympics. I was trying to figure out, like, how I wanna learn how to catch and shoot at a higher clip,” Edwards said about his learning process.

“I was trying to figure out type of ways. I watched Dame, I watched Steph, and I watched Klay, and I watched KD, and I tried KD way, it didn’t work. I tried Steph way, it didn’t work.” So what exactly worked?

“And then I watched Dame, and then I started doing Dame shot, and it’s been working for me. So I think, yeah, watching Dame helps me a lot on being able to catch and shoot,” the 23-year-old said. For the unversed, while Curry tops the all-time 3-point list with 3374 (as of now), Lillard is fourth on that list with 2639. So how is that working for Edwards?

One factor in Edwards’ success behind the 3-point arc is that he isn’t forcing anything which is evident by his 48.1% shooting percentage from downtown. Edwards has been making correct decisions and playing within the flow of the offense. The raining 3-pointers are partly an outcome of taking what the opposing defense has been giving him. Look at Friday night’s instance.

The Trail Blazers were going under screens set for Edwards to cut off his driving lanes. While that might have caused Edwards being less frequent to the rim, it allowed him plenty of open shots from 3. “I work on my game too much to try to force one downhill if they’re going to keep going under, so I’m gonna shoot that. I really be surprised at this point, like, I made two 3s in the first quarter, and in the third, I came out and made one and they kept going under. I’m like, ‘Alright, I’m gonna keep shooting this b**ch.’,” Edwards said after the game.

“Makes the floor huge. He’s got great range; he’s taking them in the flow of the offense. He’s reading the coverages in pick-and-rolls really well right now. He’s playing at a high level. His catch-and-shoot is off quick, and it’s adding to not just a lot of 3s, but a lot of efficient offense,” Timberwolves’ coach Chris Finch said of Edwards’ 3-point shooting. There are other factors contributing to this success.

Edwards is shooting more, especially in catch-and-shoot situations. Julius Randle has created more of those opportunities as a ball-dominant point forward. Randle can drive with the best of them. He can wreck the defense and he’s also an able passer who can find the open man after clogging the paint. Edwards has also been trying more to catch and shoot when such chances come.

Interestingly, Edwards said he didn’t alter anything with his shooting form. It was all about footwork. He said the only change to his shot in the offseason was a little step to the left he does now, which Edwards referred to as similar to a rhythm dribble. While Ant is getting his desired numbers with the change in approach, the young guard has been urged to follow another top point guard in the league, if he truly craves the MVP title.

Anthony Edwards certainly fits the bracket of MVP contenders, but to reach the top he needs more numbers added to his name so, following the lead of the Clippers’ combo guard will be best for Ant. This advice came from none other than the veteran’s former teammate, Austin Rivers.

On his Off Guard podcast, Rivers expressed his admiration for Edwards’ 3-point shooting but emphasized, “You want to be an MVP then go watch James Harden play.” He further added, “By as much as threes and the step-backs, f****r was top two in the league every year in free throws.” Rather than relying too much on deep shots, Rivers wants Edwards to focus on increasing his scoring average. But seems like Edwards might stick to Lillard, courtesy of one of his rookie year’s encounters with the Bucks point guard.

Lillard knew about Anthony Edwards’ ‘extra bright’ future

The incident dates back to March 2021. The second half of a Sunday matchup between the Portland Trailblazers and the Timberwolves at Target Center heated up with Lillard and Edwards on the court.

The first half was disastrous for both sides, thanks to dismal shooting. Then came Lillard, the NBA’s most clutch scorer and the then-trailblazer and challenging him was 19-year-old Edwards.

The two guards traded blows back and forth like anything. A Lillard three, followed by an Edwards trey. A Lillard stepback, an Edwards drive. And then the showstopper! an Edwards highlight-reel dunk! And the outcome reflected in the results as well.

Despite Lillard’s 38 points and six three-pointers, the Timberwolves got away with the game 114-112. And Edwards? A career-high 34 points and six made threes of his own. In just the fourth quarter, the 2020 No. 1 overall pick scored 13 points, knocking down three of six three-point attempts in the final seven minutes of the game. Not only that, he made his way to the history books as well.

The rookie became the youngest Wolves player to score 30-plus points in a game at 19 years and 221 days old. With 34 points, it was the most for a teenager in franchise history. The veteran and six-time All-Star Lillard did not miss the talent of the budding star.

“The rook Anthony Edwards had a great game. He scored 34 points and made some big shots down the stretch. He was playing confident, and that was that,” Lillard had said. But was that all he did? Certainly not.

After the game, Lillard gifted Edwards with a handwritten message. What could a rookie have asked for? “That’s love,” Edwards had said with a big grin. “I love Dame, that’s why I got the jersey. It means a lot. I’m gonna get it framed tomorrow,” Edwards had said. Later he had also posted a clip of the jersey signed by Lillard that clearly showed the messages, “Keep growing Rook” and “Much love”. Lillard even acknowledged the post resharing it while writing, “Keep growin bra! Future extra bright ✊🏽” With Edwards relying on Dame-Game, that prediction is indeed showing its colors!