DALLAS – Anthony Edwards is undoubtedly one of the best players in the NBA. Edwards has continued to play at a high level despite the Minnesota Timberwolves’ struggles this season. Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd believes playing for Team USA at the Olympics helped Edwards take another step forward.

“Spending time with Team USA helped him,” Kidd told reporters before the Timberwolves-Mavericks Christmas game. “You play with the best, you learn from the best. He is one of the young, talented players in this league. You can see that he shoots the three from a long range, but he also just manages to get to the rim… He works extremely hard at it. This afternoon is a great test for us.”

The Mavericks have respect for Edwards. They understand how big of an impact he has on the Timberwolves. Dallas will do everything it can to contain the Timberwolves superstar on Wednesday.

How does Anthony Edwards play in the 2024-25 season?

Edwards is averaging 25.3 points per game on 44.4 percent field goal and 41.4 percent three-point shooting during the 2024-25 season heading into Wednesday’s game. He also averages 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game per game.

The Timberwolves are just 14-14 overall. They seem to be having a hard time adjusting to life without Karl-Anthony Towns, who was traded to the New York Knicks this offseason. However, Minnesota still has a squad that can spring an upset at any time.

Preview of the Timberwolves-Mavericks Christmas game

The Timberwolves-Mavericks Christmas game is expected to be competitive. There will be plenty of star power with Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Dallas will try to defend its home opener against the Timberwolves on Wednesday, which could be a challenge with Edwards in town.

Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, a Dallas Wings beat reporter and senior MLB editor for ClutchPoints. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism and is a writer for NBA Research Network and RotoWire.