ESPN Analyst Reveals How Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves Will Get Further in West

With Anthony Edwards improving each season he's in the NBA, that should certainly help Minnesota's success. His scoring average has increased each season, and he seems on the cusp of becoming one of the league's top stars.

With Ant-Man on the roster, the team signed Julius Randle and Naz Reid to new contract extensions to keep them in Minnesota. In addition, they drafted what some believe could be one of the steals of the NBA Draft, selecting French center Joan Beringer at the No. 17 pick.

While Beringer has shown some impressive skills in his first games since joining the team, he's still young and has an unpolished game. The team expects that he'll learn from defensive star Rudy Gobert, who remains a key part of the team's returning starting five.

It seems that Minnesota has plenty of talent on its roster and has kept the core intact, but will that be enough to take down a juggernaut like OKC?

ESPN analyst Bobby Marks shared a hot take about how the Timberwolves can "make the jump" in the Western Conference, and he didn't single out Edwards, Gobert, Randle, Reid, or Beringer in his assessment.

"There's gonna be an X-factor here. We're here in Vegas and my X-factor is Terrence Shannon Jr., who we've seen over the course of the last week," Marks said.

He mentioned that there will be a "high expectation" for Shannon Jr. this season, following the team's loss of Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Atlanta Hawks during the offseason.

Shannon Jr. was the Wolves' No. 27 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. So far, he's averaged just 4.3 points, one assist, and 1.5 rebounds off the bench in 10.6 minutes per game.

The NBA Summer League, which began earlier this month, has shown that the team's experienced second-year players could help them contend for further success. Shannon Jr. has looked impressive, along with teammate Rob Dillingham Jr., as Minnesota has a 4-0 record thus far.

Shannon Jr. sat out the team's win over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, while Dillingham led the way with 23 points. However, the team's previous win over the Detroit Pistons featured Shannon Jr. scoring 24 points on 6-for-9 shooting to go with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

He'll need to cut down on those turnovers he had during his time on the court, as he had seven. However, it appears he and fellow second-year star Dillingham could give this Timberwolves team the necessary ingredients for a deeper run in the Western Conference.