Anthony Edwards’ goal for this season? “I want to be an All-Star starter”

Anthony Edwards is always the most confident guy in the room.

His critics question if all that confidence is deserved, but his swagger is part of why nobody can take their eyes off the Timberwolves’ soon-to-be 21-year-old wing. It’s why he was a natural as “Kermit,” the antagonist to Juancho Hernangomez’s Bo Cruz in Netflix’s “Hustle.” It’s why, after a sophomore campaign where he averaged 21.3 points a game and helped lead Minnesota back to the postseason, everyone wants to see what is next for Edwards.

His goals are lofty. As you would expect. Here’s what he told Zion Olojede of Complex:

Me personally, I want to be an All-Star Starter. I want my averages to go up. I want to win a lot of games and go deep into the playoffs.

Cracking the All-Star starting five in the West is its own Everest because Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic and LeBron James are all but locks to get starting spots. Space is limited. But if Andrew Wiggins can do it, why can’t Edwards?

Lasting deeper into the playoffs feels more possible after adding Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves roster. Last season, Minnesota got bounced in the first round of the postseason by Memphis — Edwards and the Timberwolves would race out to big leads, only to have the Grizzlies grind them down and win the games.

Man, I feel like we handed it to them, man. It was like taking candy from a baby and they took the candy. We had every game won man and I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what happened.

Putting Gobert with Karl-Anthony Towns along the front line, with Edwards entering his third year and ready for a leap, there will be a lot of eyes on the Timberwolves this season.

Edwards is good with that. He’s not lacking for confidence.

After this year, I think I’ll be in the (best player) conversation.