Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards builds a surprising dream NBA starting five

Breaking down Anthony Edwards' dream starting five

It is a group built on scoring, skill and overwhelming star power.

Edwards started the list with Curry running the offense. For many younger players around the league, Curry represents the gold standard at the position. His deep shooting range and ability to reshape defenses have changed how the game is played at every level. Edwards has spoken before about his admiration for Curry and views him as the greatest point guard to ever play.

The shooting guard spot was where Edwards made his boldest decision. Instead of selecting another legend, he put himself there. The 24-year-old explained that placing himself at that position forced a slight adjustment elsewhere in the lineup.

Jordan moved over to small forward.

Jordan built his legacy dominating the league as a shooting guard with the Chicago Bulls, but Edwards still found a way to include him.

Moving Jordan over to the wing solved the problem. Edwards could still put himself at shooting guard while keeping the player most people still view as the greatest to ever play on the floor.

Next up, Durant. Durant has always been a difficult player to label position-wise. He has spent most of his career listed as a forward, but his game does not really fit neatly into one role. At nearly seven feet tall, he handles the ball like a guard and scores from everywhere on the floor. Pull up jumpers, deep threes, drives to the rim. Few defenders have ever had an answer for that combination.

Edwards has made it clear before that Durant is his favorite player, so the choice was not exactly surprising.

Edwards mentioned two names before settling on a final pick for center. Hakeem Olajuwon crossed his mind, which makes sense given how skilled Olajuwon was around the basket. In the end, though, Edwards leaned toward O'Neal.

During his peak years, Shaq did things that felt almost unfair. Teams threw double teams at him, and it rarely mattered. His size alone created problems, and once he caught the ball near the rim, there usually was not much the defense could do about it.

Looking at the five players together tells you something about how Edwards views the game.

There is shooting everywhere with Curry and Durant. Jordan brings the competitive edge that defined an era. Shaq controls the paint. Edwards places himself right in the middle of that group as the scoring guard.

Curry changed how far defenses have to guard. Durant proved that a player of his size could move and score like a wing. Shaq represents the era when dominant centers still dictated how games were played inside.

Edwards clearly had fun building the team, but the pick that stood out most was the one involving himself.

Confidence has never been a problem for him. Judging by this lineup, he believes he belongs in the same conversation as the players he grew up watching.