Anthony Edwards shoots from deep like never before. Is 3-ball development good or bad?

The NBA's deep dive into 3-point shooting has completely changed the game. Today the 3 is not just a weapon; It is the basis of almost every crime. The analytics demand it, the coaches preach it and the players adapt to it. But here the question arises: was this development really good for the game? Is it more fun to watch basketball, or has something been lost in the process?

Last season, the Boston Celtics won the NBA Finals and broke the all-time 3-point percentage set by the Houston Rockets. Now other teams are following suit: 3-pointers are at the top leaguewide, with 41.7% of shots coming from behind the arc. If this continues, it will be the first time in NBA history that the 3-point percentage exceeds 40%.

The Timberwolves have undergone one of the most dramatic changes this season: 50.5% of their shots came from three players, second only to Boston. This comes a year after they ranked 17th in 3-point percentage. Obviously, Minnesota is trying to follow league trends to go from a West Finals appearance to champions.

At the center of Minnesota's enthusiasm for the 3-point revolution is Anthony Edwards, who has taken a total of 90 shots this season, including 53 from behind the arc. That's a rate of 58.9%. Higher than James Harden has ever been. Higher than any other player with an average of over 25 points. Higher than you would expect from a dynamic player capable of striking, making contact and finishing with authority at the rim. But this is the style he applies in all contexts of the game:

In the clips above, Edwards hits 3s by running a pick-and-roll, slipping a screen, reusing a screen and pulling up in transition. He's hunting all the time. And make them too. Edwards drained 37.1 percent of his three-pointers while dribbling and jumping and 50 percent of his three-pointers while catching and shooting. Before this regular season, Edwards had shot 33.2 percent and 38.7 percent, respectively. We'll see if these career-best percentages continue.

But as Edwards assumes this perimeter-centric role, questions arise about what remains on the table. Is Ant sacrificing some of his best attributes by relying so heavily on the long ball? Does he lose opportunities to develop his weakest offensive skill: playmaking? And could the MJ-esque pull-ups and athletic drives that made him a nostalgic fan favorite be slipping away?

On the latest episode of The Kevin O'Connor Show, I invited Timberwolves expert Dane Moore to talk about Minnesota's new style. Moore said the surge in 3s wasn't necessarily ordered by Wolves head coach Chris Finch. It's just the way the team is structured. I believe it.

Yes, the Wolves are running more off-ball screens that slingshot players into 3s (or toward the basket). And they offer more movement and exercise than before. But the massive increase in 3-point attempts is largely due to Edwards alone.

Karl-Anthony Towns is the self-proclaimed greatest 3-point shooter of all time, and he's dead. But Julius Randle has always hit his fair share of threes, too. And shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo is also a top 3-point ace.

Rotation players like Mike Conley, Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker already needed a lot of threes before, so nothing has changed here either.

Edwards alone has driven Minnesota's 3-point surge, going from a modest third of his attempts from deep last season to over half this year. At just 23 years old, he is still developing and still figuring out the player he needs to be to win at the highest level. Tuesday's game against the Mavericks was a perfect test case.

In the first quarter, Edwards seemed unstoppable, scoring 24 points and hitting three-pointers from everywhere possible. But when Dallas tightened up, pressuring him in transition and denying him those easy looks, everything changed. In the halfcourt, the Mavericks switched almost every screen, often with PJ Washington in the shadows. Edwards struggled to find his shot against the faltering drop defense, and the ball pressure led to some sloppy turnovers late in the game.

To go further than the Timberwolves did last season, these are the matchups where Ant will need to use his full arsenal, especially his offense. And in a long regular season, Edwards has the best opportunity to refine his game and add layers to his game. At the moment his focus is on the 3. But at some point it has to be about improving his teammates by manipulating the defense as a passer.

However, it's no surprise that the Timberwolves embrace Edwards' style of play. His shot looks excellent. That's how teams win these days. But this isn't just about strategy – it's about the broader development of basketball itself.

Think about what basketball used to be like. A tapestry of styles, with each team carrying its own identity. The 3-pointer used to be the surprise. The knockout blow. Now it's just a stitch. You could watch a game and immediately know: This is Spurs basketball or These are the seven seconds or less suns or These are the Grit and Grind Grizzlies. Today? You would be forgivable if you confused the styles. When everyone follows similar high-volume 3-point strategies, that distinctive identity fades into the background, and what's left is a league that sometimes feels like a copy-paste job.

From a narrative perspective, the 3-point shot was once a thrill due to its rarity. But do fans really want to see a player of Edwards' stature make a higher percentage of three-pointers than Reggie Miller or Ray Allen ever did in their careers? The 3-pointer, in all its efficiency, has become routine, and with it some of the drama has disappeared.

Don't get me wrong. Watching Steph Curry make Mike Breen scream “Bang!” with Logo 3s is exhilarating. It's commendable to see centers like Brook Lopez adapt by moving from the post to the 3-point line. And it's remarkable to see the Celtics combine elements of what the Warriors and Rockets developed in the late 2010s to revolutionize the game.

The talent across the league is greater than ever, and with parity in the West and East behind Boston, the level of competition is high heading into this season. But television ratings fell last week, due to many factors, including the absence of superstars. If this 3-point style becomes the de facto status of the game for almost every player and team, the thrill may also diminish for many fans.

For individual players like Edwards and for the NBA as a whole, the challenge is finding the optimal balance between analytics and artistry. Ultimately, most fans don't just want a good shot chart, but a good story. And perhaps the story is better if it is told with a little more variety.