Julius Randle gives the Wolves a blueprint to stay alive without Anthony Edwards

Unfortunately, ahead of Monday's game against the Denver Nuggets, it was announced that Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards will be out for the next two weeks with a hamstring injury. Needless to say, navigating a two-week stretch without their superstar will be challenging for the Wolves.

However, the Wolves pulled off a 114-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday during a game in which Edwards played just three minutes. Julius Randle was absolutely sensational, pouring in 31 points (11-18 shooting), six assists, and four rebounds. Randle was empowered as both a shot-creator and a playmaker during this game.

It wasn't just that Randle had a good game, but this style of play is a blueprint that the Wolves can lean into during Edwards' absence.

Randle has a unique but highly valuable skill set that will benefit the Wolves

When Chris Finch opted to tweak the starting lineup, replacing Mike Conley with Donte DiVincenzo, Randle and Edwards were empowered as primary initiators. Randle will still have significant ball-handling duties without Edwards, but will now be the Wolves' lead shot-creator. And when Conley, DiVincenzo, or Bones Hyland brought up the ball on Sunday, the Wolves utilized Randle as a playmaking hub.

This play is the perfect example of Randle's ability as an offensive hub. He catches the ball at the high-post and delivers a pinpoint pass to a cutting DiVincenzo for an easy layup.

When he's attacking the rim, Randle does a great job looking for open shooters and cutters. Here's an example of him driving and finding an open DiVincenzo for an outside shot.

Randle's blend of playmaking as a creator and a high-post hub is incredibly valuable to the Wolves. Impressively, he ranks in the 100th percentile for assist-to-usage ratio per Cleaning the Glass.

The Kentucky product is also a fantastic self-creator and finisher. He has a rare blend of size, strength, and awareness. Notably, Randle is shooting an impressive 70.3 percent from the rim, 4.2 attempts per game (82nd percentile). Frankly, not many 6-foot-9 forwards around the league possess a skill set similar to Randle's.

Through three games, Randle is averaging 25.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6 assists on 57.4/47.1/73.7 shooting splits. Whether it's fiercely attacking the rim, punishing mismatches on fadeaways, or pulling up off the dribble, Randle can score at will.

Randle's 47.1 percent shooting from 3-point range has been a key storyline this season. This monster number is unsustainable, but Randle could hover around the 40 percent range. He notably shot 38.5 percent in last year's playoffs. If Randle can consistently knock down the deep ball, it will open up the Wolves' offense both with and without Edwards.

Undoubtedly, losing Edwards for at least eight games is a tough blow. However, Randle can help keep the team afloat during this stretch, something that will be especially vital in an ultra-competitive Western Conference.