Not only was the NBA All-Star Game’s new format an absolutely wonderful improvement, leading to competitive games for the first time in what feels like years, but the lone all-star weekend representative of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards, won All-Star Game MVP.
While Kawhi Leonard took over his home arena, it was Edwards’ USA Stars that won the round-robin tournament, leading to the titular hardware win.
Funny enough, the Stars lost to the Stripes in the round robin round, going 1-1 and lucking into a finals spot after the World team lost both. In those finals, it was a completely different game; however, the Stars summarily demolished the Stripes by a final score of 47-21.
No singular player dominated any statistical category, but it was Edwards who led the effort. His total of 32 points across three games led the team.
Edwards was by no means the most impressive player tonight, as Kawhi Leonard nearly eclipsed Edwards’ point total in a single game, but it seems that the same rules that apply to Finals MVP apply to All-Star Game MVP, as Kawhi’s team fell short.
Possibly more importantly, the round robin format was a success. If tonight was any indication, this tournament-style set of games that totals the same minutes played is here to stay. After years and years of lackluster play with minimal effort, this game was different. While no one was playing physically by any means, they were certainly playing hard.
“I think they ain’t really going to take in what I’m saying, but I like this format,” said Ant. “I think it makes us compete because it’s only 12 minutes, and the three different teams separate the guys.”
Additionally, All-Star Weekend is known to be rife with some legal tampering under the guise of building friendships, and Edwards was left on a team with a bunch of young stars whom he could recruit to Minnesota. From backcourt pairings in Tyrese Maxey or Cade Cunningham to Julius Randle replacements in Scottie Barnes or Jalen Johnson, there are so many options for fans to fixate on.
The primary reason for Edwards’ crowning was one that Wolves fans know well: late-game heroics. The first matchup of the night against Team World went into overtime at a 32-32 tie before Ant took over to win the first-to-five tie-breaker.
In the second game, it was once again Edwards leading the charge, as his 11 points represented more than a quarter of the team’s total as they fell to the aforementioned Stripes.
Funny enough, it was Kawhi Leonard’s 31-point performance that eliminated the World team when the Stripes were already locked into a final spot that allowed for this picture:
There’s so much to be said about how Ant got to this point. Drafted while being likened to Dion Waiters and JR Smith, he became a terror going at the rim, slowly took the reins from former Timberwolf Karl-Anthony Towns, and then did the impossible (even if Twitter claims it is a linear part of development) and became one of the best shooters in the league.
Maybe it’s ridiculous to wax poetic about an All-Star Game MVP when that accolade means about as much as Nickelodeon’s NVP, but it’s also a moment to take a look back.
Close your eyes and think about who Ant is for a moment. I think back to the dunk over Yuta Wantanabe as the first moment where I thought “wow, this guy is fun.” I think back to the game against the Suns at the end of his rookie year as the first time I thought “wow, this guy is good.” I think back to the first round series against the Denver Nuggets as the first time I thought, “Wow, this guy may be very good.”
I hope we one day reach a point where I can say, “Wow, this guy may just win us a title.” Tonight was not a step to that by any means, but it brought me back to those moments.
Who would’ve thought we’d get here?
I wouldn’t have.
Tonight wasn’t anything special. You know what it was? Fun. Edwards is the MVP of the NBA’s least important game. Who cares about its importance?
Goodnight Wolves fans. Go to bed smiling.
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