The Minnesota Timberwolves will have to navigate life without Anthony Edwards for approximately the next two months, as their superstar is undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his knee. Of course, this is devastating news, and we are all wishing Ant-Man a speedy recovery.
Alas, there are significant basketball implications at play that we have to explore. In an ultra-competitive Western Conference, the Timberwolves can't get behind the eight ball during this stretch.
With that in mind, let's explore the biggest questions that will determine the Wolves' success without Edwards.
How will LaMelo Ball handle first-option duties?
The most obvious and tangible impact of Edwards being sidelined is the primary creation void that he leaves behind. Ant is one of the league's best three-level scorers with difficult shot-making chops. LaMelo Ball will now step into this role of primary shot creation.
Ball has been the first option for most of his career with the Charlotte Hornets. He is an elite playmaker and perimeter scorer. While Ball can hit difficult 3-point shots at will, he is a subpar finisher. And thus far, LaMelo has averaged just 14.8 points with the Wolves. Not having Edwards' all-around scoring may hurt the Wolves' offense.
Outside of Ball, the Wolves have some solid scoring threats, including Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Ayo Dosunmu. Ball's playmaking can elevate these players too.
Still, not having the superpower of Ant's ability to create a shot out of nothing will be a tough hurdle to overcome.
Can the Timberwolves' bench keep up their strong play?
The Timberwolves' bench was a concern heading into the season. However, the first four games of the season have silenced this concern. So far, the Wolves rank 12th in bench scoring. Shannon and Dosunmu have both been tremendous bench scorers. One of these players will slide into the starting lineup, though. From there, the question becomes: Who will take over as the second bench scorer?
Bones Hyland is the most likely candidate for a bigger bench role. He's an erratic scorer, though. There will be a drop-off between Edwards and either Ayo or Shannon in the starting lineup. Nevertheless, both players are starting-quality. Whether Hyland is a quality rotation player remains to be seen.
In turn, there's a chance that the Timberwolves' bench scoring takes a massive hit by losing Ayo or Shannon. They may only have seven quality players for the time being, which could create issues for Minnesota. If Hyland (or someone else) steps up, though, the Wolves could stay afloat.
What does the Timberwolves' clutch-time offense look like?
I feel pretty decent about the Wolves being able to survive for the first 43 minutes of games. They still have some impressive talent, and their ball movement, pace, and shooting can give them a strong offense. In the last five minutes, though, things might get dicey. This is where the Timberwolves will miss Edwards the most. He is one of the league's best clutch scorers, and he can create offense out of nothing.
In late-game situations, most teams' offense becomes giving the ball to their stars. Will the Wolves trust Ball to be the superstar-level creator, or will they play a more egalitarian style of offense? Ball's aforementioned lack of rim pressure is an issue in late-game situations. Regardless, it's unusual for teams to keep running intricate sets that involve everyone in the clutch. Chris Finch's sets have been more creative this season, though, and he could double down on what's worked in late games without Ant.
Simply put, both of these strategies are intriguing yet somewhat risky. The Timberwolves will likely be in a ton of close games without Edwards, and it's unclear what their new clutch-time identity will be and whether it will be effective.
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