Mike Conley discusses what makes Anthony Edwards so special

As the old adage goes, "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."

The great ones have always lived by that mantra. Despite being blessed with innate athleticism and skills, the likes of Novak Djokovic, Patrick Mahomes and LeBron James have credited their preparation and work ethic for their success. 

Rising NBA superstar Anthony Edwards appears to be another willing to "put in the work" to harness his natural talents. One of his Timberwolves teammates, Mike Conley Jr., has been observing Edwards' willingness to toil for greatness. 

"He's a guy who comes in early and leaves late," Conley said of Edwards' work ethic on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday. "He demands the most out of his teammates and competes everyday at practice. All that stuff — the mentality portion — is dead on."

Conley is admittedly amazed at Edwards, 22, for already exhibiting leadership intangibles. 

"He's taking an approach now where it's all about winning — pumping up his teammates, knowing how to get guys going, knowing when to take over. It's all happening in prime time, and it couldn't happen to a better guy. He truthfully loves the game, the people he's around and he has an infectious personality. The world is getting to know him a little bit now."

In recent months, there's been a lot of talk about Edwards battling the likes of Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama for the title of the "next face of the NBA." Conley, though, believes his teammate is ahead of schedule and has now, not next.

"He's not waiting," Conley said of Edwards. "That's what's different about him. He wants it right now. He wants to be the best. He won't tell you, but he believes he's already the best in the world."

It would be hard to argue with Edwards if he truly believes that. The star guard has been instrumental in Minnesota remaining undefeated in the playoffs. He's averaging 32.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.8 steals through six games.