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

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

Last season, the Boston Celtics won the NBA Finals, shattering the all-time 3-point mark previously set by the Houston Rockets. Now other teams are catching up: 3-pointers are way up above the league 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 rate eclipses 40%.

The Timberwolves have undergone one of the most dramatic shifts this season, shooting 50.5% from 3, second only to Boston. This comes a year after they ranked 17th in 3-point rate. Clearly, Minnesota is trying to follow the league’s trends as an attempt to jump from a West Finals appearance to a champion.

At the heart of Minnesota’s embrace of the 3-point revolution is Anthony Edwards, who has taken 90 total shots this season, 53 of which have come from behind the arc. This is a rate of 58.9%. Higher than James Harden ever had. Higher than any other player averaging over 25 points. Higher than you’d expect from a dynamic player capable of cutting, drawing contact and finishing at the rim with authority. But this is the style he embraces in all contexts of the game:

In the clips above, Edwards hits 3s by running a pick-and-roll, sliding a screen, recycling a screen and pulling up in transition. He is on the hunt all the time. And make them too. Edwards has drained 37.1 percent of his dribble-jumper 3s and 50 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s. Prior to this regular season, Edwards had made 33.2 percent and 38.7 percent, respectively. We’ll see if those career-best percentages hold.

But as Edwards takes on this perimeter-centric role, questions arise about what’s left on the table. By leaning so heavily on the long ball, is Ant sacrificing some of his best qualities? Is he losing opportunities to develop his weakest offensive skill: playmaking? And could the MJ-esque midrange pull-ups and athletic drives that made him a nostalgic fan favorite slip away?

On the latest episode of The Kevin O’Connor Show, I brought on Timberwolves expert Dane Moore to discuss Minnesota’s new style. Moore said the increase in 3s isn’t necessarily mandated by Wolves head coach Chris Finch. It’s just the way the team is built. I think so.

Yes, the Wolves run multiple off-ball screens, which slingshot players into 3s (or throws toward the basket). And they offer more movement and movement than before. But the massive increase in 3-point attempts is pretty much all about Edwards.

Karl-Anthony Towns is the self-proclaimed greatest 3-point shooter of all time, and he’s gone. But Julius Randle has also always taken his share of 3s. And shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo is also a high-end 3-point ace.

Rotation players like Mike Conley, Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker already took a ton of 3s before, so nothing has changed there either.

Edwards alone has fueled Minnesota’s 3-point surge, jumping 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 what kind of 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 looked unstoppable, pouring in 24 points and hitting 3s from all over the floor. But when Dallas tightened up, pressured him in transition and shut down the easy looks, everything changed. In the half court, the Mavericks began switching almost every screen, often with PJ Washington shadowing him. Edwards struggled to find his shot against their slumping drop defense, and ball pressure led to some sloppy turnovers late in the game.

To go further than the Timberwolves did last season, these matchups are where Ant must draw on his full tools, especially his drives. And in a long regular season, Edwards has an excellent opportunity to sharpen his game and add layers to his game. Right now his focus is 3. But at some point it must also be on making his teammates better by manipulating the defense as a passer.

It’s no surprise that the Timberwolves embrace Edwards playing this way. His shot looks excellent. This is how teams win today. But this isn’t just about strategy – it’s about the broader development of basketball itself.

Think about how basketball used to be. A tapestry of styles, each team carries its own identity. The 3-pointer used to be the surprise. The Knockout Punch. Now it’s just another plug. You can watch a game and immediately know: This is Spurs basketball or These are the seven seconds or less suns or This is the Grit and Grind Grizzlies. Today? You’d be forgiven for mixing up the styles. When everyone runs similar high-volume 3-point strategies, that signature identity fades into the background, and what we’re left with is a league that sometimes feels like a copy-and-paste job.

From a narrative standpoint, the 3-point shot was once a thrill because of its rarity. But do fans really want a player built like Edwards to take a higher percentage of shots from 3 than Reggie Miller or Ray Allen ever did in their careers? The 3-pointer, in all its effectiveness, has become routine, and with it, some of the drama has slipped away.

Don’t get me wrong. Watching Steph Curry make Mike Breen yell “Bang!” with logo 3s is exciting. It’s commendable to see centers like Brook Lopez adapt by migrating from the post to the 3-point line. And it’s remarkable to see the Celtics blend elements of what the Warriors and Rockets pioneered in the late 2010s to revolutionize the game.

The talent across the league is greater than ever, and with parity in the West and in the East behind Boston, the level of competition is high early this season. But TV ratings saw declines last weekwith many factors coming into play, including superstar absences. As this 3-point style becomes the de facto state of the game for nearly every player and team, the excitement may also begin to wear thin for many fans.

For individual players like Edwards and for the NBA as a whole, the challenge is finding the sweet spot between analytics and artistry. At the end of the day, what most fans want isn’t just a good shot chart – they want a good story. And maybe the story is better when it has a little more variety in the way it’s told.