The Minnesota Timberwolves enter Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals needing a big game from Anthony Edwards, who is healthy and ready.

The last time an American-born player walked away with the top honor was James Harden in 2018. The run of international players winning MVP -- Gilgeous-Alexander is from Canada -- speaks to the expanding global reach of the NBA and the increased number of talent outside of the United States.

Two years ago, as Jalen Brunson emerged as an All-Star point guard for the NBA's New York Knicks, the head coach of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces, Becky Hammon, declared on an ESPN panel, "If your best player is small,

Minnesota has plenty of room for improvement heading into Game 2, starting with the play of Anthony Edwards. The star guard went just 5-of-13 from the field and scored only 18 points in Game 1, and he is expected to play much better moving forward. On TNT's "Inside the NBA," Shaquille O'Neal said that Edwards needs to assert himself.

RotoWire highlights the top performers after the fourth full week of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Anthony Edwards has plenty of momentum heading into Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday. Four full weeks of exciting playoff basketball are now in the books,