Anthony Edwards Might Just Break Through the Roof

Anthony Edwards scored 44 points last night but those are overshadowed by the insane block he authored to preserve a 113-111 victory over the Indiana Pacers in the waning seconds. It seems impossible that you haven't seen the footage yet because any decent friend should have texted it to you immediately.

Edwards exploded off a launching pad of his own making and put his body on the line, careening off the backboard (and rim) in a way we've legitimately never seen before. We've watched it over and over this morning and every time it boggles the mind.

If you believe in these types of things, it was The Anthony Edwards Game. He's been incredible many, many times before but this is on entirely new level. And because this is the way things work, we have no choice but to consider the possibility that he could rise to the occassion and become The Face of The League.

Pundits have been lamenting the fact that there's precious few potential successors to LeBron James whenever the Los Angeles Lakers star decides to hang them up. Which honestly might not be for four more years as he appears to be on the Tom Brady plan and has desires to play with a son who isn't quite ready for the NBA.

No matter what anyone tries to tell you, it's not essential for the NBA to have a Face. There will always be superstars dispersed out through many markets and the regionality of the game gets lost amid all the national focus. For those clamoring for someone to ascend, though, Edwards may be the best option.

Nikola Jokic might be the most gifted basketball player we've ever seen. Both he and Giannis Antetokounmpo are brand new versions of what the sport can be and both have the championship pedigree (and actual championships) to hold the made-up crown. Life's not fair though and part of that manifests in the public's inability to truly embrace the big man and newness.

Part of Kobe Bryant's allure was how much he reminded everyone of Michael Jordan. James, though bigger and bulkier, is somewhat in the same mold. Edwards, at 6-foot-4 and high-flying, conjures up memories of all of these dudes.

And with Karl-Anthony Towns out indefinitely, the Timberwolves' fate rests solely on Edwards' shoulders. If KAT is unable to return for the playoffs and the 22-year-old phenom goes sicko mode all the way to a Larry O'Brien, it would serve as rocket fuel, potentially enough for him to be anointed as the next big thing.

Such a feat would be hard as hell and we shouldn't let the future be the enemy of now. But everyone else is going to be doing it so why not throw the idea into the mix?