Anthony Edwards, 23, is by far the most talented and skilled among his peers. The two-time All-Star is already touted to replace LeBron James and Stephen Curry as the future “face of the NBA”. His numbers are improving with each passing year and the Minnesota Timberwolves had enough faith in his ability to be the team’s offensive lynchpin that they retained him while parting ways with Karl Anthony-Towns. And Edwards is repaying that trust by posting some big numbers including from beyond the arc. Is Curry’s three-point record Edwards-proof ?
Karl’s exit has given Edwards a free rein on offense, and he’s putting it to good use. He’s averaging a career-high 27.9 points on 20.9 shots per game. And, nearly 55% of his shot attempts have been three-points, which was not the case in the years past. The guard is attempting 11.1 three-pointers on average, comfortably beating his previous career-high of 8.4.
While a steep increase in three-point attempts usually leads to a drop in conversion rate, that hasn’t been the case with Edwards. On the contrary, he has become more efficient, landing 43.1% of his shots, a career-best mark.
To contextualize how incredible the Timberwolves star has been as a three-point shooter: among players averaging at least eight three-point attempts, only Tyler Herro (45.2), Buddy Hield (45.1), and Stephen Curry (44.1) have a better conversion rate.
In that subset of elite shooters, only Curry is averaging over nine three-point attempts per game. To match the greatest shooter in NBA history in attempts is already an incredible achievement.
Curry and Edwards’ three-point numbers after five years
Five years into his NBA career, Curry had made 905 three-pointers. However, he averaged only 4.7 attempts per game in his first three years in the league, and he played only 26 games in his third season due to a recurring ankle issue.
His attempts ballooned up to 7.8 per game in his fourth and fifth campaigns, and his shooting feats in those two years cemented his status as the best three-point shooter in the league.
Fifteen games into his fifth season in the NBA, Edwards has 861 three-pointers. Provided he stays healthy, he’ll not only surpass Curry’s five-year tally but will also likely break the 1,110 mark this campaign.
So, five years in, the Timberwolves star is ahead of schedule. However, the race is a marathon and not a sprint.
What Edwards will have to do to keep up with Curry
When Steve Kerr was appointed as the Golden State Warriors’ head coach in 2014, his first order of business was to give Curry the pass to shoot threes on sight. The guard obliged and his numbers rocketed. Under the former Chicago Bulls guard, the two-time MVP has 10.9 attempts per game from beyond the arc and banks 4.6 on average.
At the time of writing this article, Curry had converted 2,887 three-point attempts since Kerr took over as the Warriors’ head coach. That on its own would rank third all-time behind James Harden (2,980 and counting) and Ray Allen (2973). Adding the 905 he banked in his first five years, his career total now stands at 3,792.
To catch up to that number, Edwards would need around eight years, provided he not only maintains his incredible 4.8 conversions per game but also averages 79 games per season, just like in the past two years. However, Curry is far from done. Assuming he sees out his current contract, which is set to expire in 2027, and retires, he’d likely have over 4,800 three-pointers.
That would mean the Timberwolves guard would need well more than a decade to catch up to the Warriors icon.
Will Edwards retire as the most prolific three-point shooter?
Theoretically, the three-point record is within Edwards’ reach. Practically, it is highly unlikely.
Edwards has started this season hot as a three-point shooter. But history suggests he’ll cool off. Even if he doesn’t, he would have to average four three-pointers per game for 12.6 years to catch up to Curry if he finishes his career with around 4,800.
No player in NBA history, including the four-time NBA champion, has been as prolific. It remains to be seen whether the Timberwolves superstar can sustain his current form for the entire season. If he does, he’d have to do it for 12 more seasons to dethrone Curry as the undisputed king of three-pointers, assuming the two-time MVP calls it a day in 2027.
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