"MVP and championship. That's the goal" - Anthony Edwards sets the bar for himself and the Timberwolves this year

The NBA fans have long known Anthony Edwards as a confident young star who looks to dominate his rivals and idols on the court as the Minnesota Timberwolves barrel through the Western Conference.

But during the Minnesota Timberwolves’ training camp, the three-time All-Star showed a different and rather humble side of himself. Edwards said he wants to focus on defense in the 2025-2026 season.

Despite being a solid perimeter defender, the young star knows his limits on this end of the floor. He is teammates with four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and NBA All-Defensive Second Team Jaden McDaniels.

“I don’t really think I’m going to be able to win Defensive Player of the year,” he said. “I got two of the best defenders on my team, so it’s gonna be hard for me to win. I don’t want to take it away from those guys.”

However, Edwards revealed a bigger mission in his mind. This season, Ant wants to take flight and bring the Wolves with him.

“MVP and championship,” he told reporters. “That’s the goal.”

Ant-Man sets sights on MVP trophy

In 2024-2025, Edwards averaged 27.6 points, 4.1 assists, and 5.7 rebounds. Edwards finished seventh in last year’s MVP voting, tied with Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham.

Then in September, ESPN ranked him the sixth-best player in the league. They highlighted his improvement, but also noted a need to elevate his offensive game and make his teammates better – an indisputable quality of an MVP and something Edwards worked hard on in the offseason.

Edwards revealed that he received advice from the GOAT himself, Michael Jordan, during the summer. He added that he improved his conditioning by hitting the gym, getting more sleep and enhanced his ball-handling skills to better orchestrate the offense.

“We’ve been working on everything,” he said. “No matter what they’re doing, I’m trying to get to a spot, raise over the defender, or get downhill and create a play for Rudy and Jaden in the corner and find my teammates.”

Most importantly, aside from spearheading the offense, Edwards, who averaged 1.1 steals, knows he has to lead the defense to maintain the Wolves’ winning identity. He wants to win an All-Defensive team award.

“We’re trying to get back to the No. 1 defense in the league, and I know it starts with me,” he said. “I’ve got to be ready every night and take pride in that.”

Wolves roaring for the title

In 2024-2025, the Wolves needed time to show they were a a title contender. They ended the regular season with 49 wins and reached the conference finals for the second straight year under head coach Chris Finch.

However, Minnesota is tired of settling for near misses. In the past two seasons, they have failed to punch their long-awaited final ticket after falling to the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder.

With the core of Edwards, Julius Randle, Mike Conley, McDaniels, and Gobert, the team is charging for the top. Ant-Man believes the team has the pieces for a title run this year; all they need is chemistry.

“It looked like everybody been working. Everybody has been pushing themselves to the limit and it’s showing right now. Everybody’s sharing the ball,” he said. “It’s making it feel like nobody’s worried about the individual play right now. That’s what we need. We need camaraderie right now, and it’s starting early.”

The league knows the Timberwolves can keep up with the competitive Western Conference, but it has yet to see them go all the way to the finals. Perhaps Edwards’s regaining his MVP form will finally make that happen.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

“MVP and championship. That’s the goal” – Anthony Edwards sets the bar for himself and the Timberwolves this year

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