Anthony Edwards' injury will remind the Timberwolves of an exciting truth

When it was announced that Anthony Edwards would be out for at least one week with a knee injury, I think every Minnesota Timberwolves fan was fearful. The Wolves were 1-4 in their past five games entering a crucial showdown with the Phoenix Suns. Thankfully, they responded to the challenge, beating Phoenix 116-104 to a three-game cushion outside of the Play-In Tournament. 

There was a ton that was different about the Timberwolves, especially on the offensive end of the floor on Tuesday. The ball was zipping around (28 assists), which led to plenty of open shots. Five players reached double-digit points, led by Julius Randle's 32 and Bones Hyland's 22. Well-rounded scoring nights have been the Wolves' blueprint to their best games all season long.

Undeniably, the Timberwolves are a talented bunch, even outside of Ant-Man. They don't always show it, though, and during their recent cold stretch, the team's complementary production wavered. These four-plus games without Edwards could remind the Timberwolves of their all-around talent and the importance of getting everyone involved in the offense.

I don't want this to be seen as a shot against Ant; he is obviously fantastic. Nevertheless, sometimes a stretch without your star can remind you what the team as a unit is capable of.

The Timberwolves are at their best when everyone is involved

Typically, with Ant, the Wolves offense runs everything through him (and Randle), but without him, there was more variety in who was initiating the offense. In addition to Randle, Ayo Dosunmu, Bones Hyland, and Kyle Anderson all set up the offense more than on a typical night. In some ways, this made the Wolves less predictable, and it certainly gave everyone a bigger role in the offense.

To be clear, the Timberwolves are still better with Ant, and they need him back to win at any significant level. However, I would be in favor of the Wolves diversifying their offense a bit more when Edwards returns. All season long, it's been evident that the Wolves are at their best when everyone is involved.

Notably, Minnesota is 26-14 when Ant scores fewer than 30 points. This isn't to say he should never have monster scoring nights; sometimes the Wolves need it. Generally, though, the Wolves could use a bit less of Ant's scoring and more scoring from everyone else.

With proper touches, the Wolves' supporting cast has proven to be productive. To win in the playoffs, the Timberwolves must lean into this advantage. Playing with this different style would also benefit Ant, as it would create more opportunities for him as an off-ball shooter. 

Edwards' injury is obviously unfortunate for the Timberwolves, but the silver lining is that key complementary players could get back on track before the playoffs. This could ultimately lead to a slight stylistic change that could benefit all parties.  

Undoubtedly, this stretch without Ant should be a reminder to the Timberwolves about how much all-around talent they have.