Four reasons Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards should be next face of NBA

Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards might not be the NBA's best player, but after beating the defending champion Denver Nuggets to reach the Western Conference Finals, he is the most important. 

In fact, the NBA needs the 22-year-old Edwards — whose team will face the Dallas Mavericks beginning Wednesday in the conference finals — to be the face of the league for the next generation. 

Here are four big reasons why.

1. He plays in a small market

More than any other American sports league, the NBA is often defined by franchises with historic legacies in massive markets. The L.A. Lakers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks will always get more publicity when they're relevant compared to other teams, and that's why so many big names are usually lining up to play there.

Yet there's also the charm of the small-market star who takes a less-storied franchise to great heights. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee and Nikola Jokic in Denver have done that in recent years, and most notably, the San Antonio Spurs with Tim Duncan and coach Gregg Popovich dominated in the  late 1990s and 2000s.

It's not impossible for a team to go from nothing to the big-time, as the T-Wolves and Edwards have. Per ESPN Bet, Minnesota is favored to make it to the NBA Finals, and Edwards is a huge reason why. 

2. He's American

Jokic is great, as are Antetokounmpo, Dallas' Luka Doncic and Philadelphia's Joel Embiid. San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama, the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year, will be great for a decade or more. 

However, it can't be ignored that none of those players were born and raised in the United States, the country where the vast majority of the NBA's audience (and 29 of its 30 teams) calls home. 

The success of international stars is crucial for growing the NBA's popularity worldwide, but there must be American superstars, too. With LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry in the twilight of their careers, someone must take over for them.

Boston's Jayson Tatum seemed like the most likely candidate for the next generation, but Edwards — who averaged 25.9 points this season — might have an even greater ceiling.

3. He's a pure hooper

There's just something about watching players such as Jokic or Curry dominate on the hardwood that's relatable for the common fan, as opposed to astounding physical specimens such as James, Antetokounmpo or Embiid. 

That something — not to dismiss the greatness of the latter players — is the fact their success is much less reliant on their physical attributes and instead comes from pure, unadulterated basketball skill.

Edwards, who's 6-foot-4 and weighs 225 pounds, falls into the former category. He's a bouncy athlete who can fill up the highlight reels with electrifying dunks, but he isn't the type of player who can simply use his sheer physical advantage to bully his way around the court. 

Shooting and tenacious defense are the bread and butter of Edwards' skillset. Those skills are learned rather than inherited.