The Minnesota Timberwolves' season is off to a great start as they are 3-1 with their new-look roster. Unfortunately, per Shams Charania, Anthony Edwards will undergo an arthroscopic procedure on his ailing right knee and miss up to two months. That's obviously devastating for the Wolves, and it puts the Timberwolves in a tough spot for the time being.
In an ultra-competitive conference, the Wolves were looking like they could challenge the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. Edwards' injury changes things in a big way. Based on this timeline, the Wolves are positioned to be without him for around 26 games. He could return around Christmas time, or maybe even sooner given his track record of quick recoveries.
However, the Timberwolves will be in a tough spot without their superstar for the time being.
Navigating life without Anthony Edwards is a clear challenge
Now, the Timberwolves do have a ton of scoring options outside of Ant. LaMelo Ball has been a No. 1 option for most of his career. Jaden McDaniels is having a career-best year. Jonathan Kuminga is a great complementary scoring option. Ayo Dosunmu and Terrence Shannon Jr. are two great bench scorers. With this solid group, the Wolves have a chance to exceed expectations, something they've regularly done in the past few years.
Obviously, though, making up for the void left behind by Edwards will be challenging.
Through four games, Edwards has averaged 33.3 points. His dominant three-level scoring abilities have remained the heartbeat of the Wolves' offense, and he's a top-five level player. Simply put, it puts them in a really tough spot for the next couple of months.
I have confidence that this team will end up in the playoffs, but Edwards' absence will likely hurt their seeding. The Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Denver Nuggets all feel primed to separate themselves from Minnesota over the next two months.
This puts the Wolves in a spot where they'll be playing catch-up once Edwards returns. Needless to say, that's not ideal. The league has become a war of attrition on some level, and this injury puts the Wolves behind the eight ball early.
And while the Timberwolves' new-look roster has quickly meshed together, not being on the court enough together could hurt them come playoff time. By all accounts, this is a brutal break for the Timberwolves after a thrilling start to the season.
It's fair to wonder what Edwards will look like upon returning
Even when Edwards returns to the court, it's fair to wonder what his impact will be.
I know nobody wants to hear this, but Edwards has been having knee problems since March. First, he missed time toward the end of the regular season with right knee inflammation. Then, in the playoffs, he was sidelined for nine days, including the last two games of the first-round, with a hyperextended left knee injury.
Edwards re-aggravated his knee during Sunday's game against the Toronto Raptors. He followed this up with a 47-point outburst on Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The knee injuries didn't phase Ant as a scorer, but his burst was lacking compared to what we've been accustomed to seeing.
Hopefully, this procedure gets Ant back to 100 percent, but that's not a certainty. The Wolves' first three games of the season went as well as imaginable. Now, they are backed into a corner for the next two months or so.
One thing is for sure: all of Timberwolves nation is hoping Edwards has a speedy recovery.
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