Editor's note: This article was published before the Timberwolves listed Anthony Edwards as questionable for Monday's Game 1 and has since been updated.
Will Anthony Edwards play? That's the million-dollar question ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves' second-round series against the San Antonio Spurs. Thankfully, on Sunday afternoon, Shams Charania gave fans some real optimism.
"He (Ant) will be missing Game 1 and likely Game 2 as well. But he did get his first workouts in on Saturday and Sunday after missing about a week now with that hyperextension bone bruise in his knee, and he also traveled with the team to San Antonio. So there's optimism around team sources about his status overall. And I'm told that Anthony Edwards himself is hopeful he could push to be back in the lineup, potentially in Game 3 or Game 4 at the earliest," Shams said.Â
Shortly after Shams' update, the Timberwolves officially listed Edwards as questionable for Game 1 on Monday. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic noted that Ant "has been pushing hard to play." Shams' update seemed positive enough, but now it looks like Edwards will be back even earlier than expected.
Edwards' return would change the outlook of the Timberwolves-Spurs series
It's been a roller coaster ride for Timberwolves fans. When Ant first suffered this knee injury last week, it looked unlikely that he would return for a possible second-round series, as the injury was labeled "multi-week." Chris Finch later made it seem likely thathe'd return for a possible second-round series, which gave everyone some much-needed hope.
But still, there wasn't a clear timeline. Thus, it's nice to know that a return feels imminent.
Ant is a relentless worker, and he is doing everything he can to return with the chance to make a third straight conference finals run. A possible return this early in the series seemed improbable just last week, but now it feels inevitable that he will be back in one of the early games this series.
It will be worth monitoring just how impactful Ant will be after his second knee injury since March, but there's no doubt the Wolves will benefit from his presence.
Realistically, the Wolves will need Ant back in the fold and playing at a high-level to pull off an upset of this magnitude. His elite shot creation and 3-point shooting will be vital to offset the challenges of playing Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.Â
Luckily, all signs point to Ant returning sooner rather than later, which could ultimately flip this series on its head.Â
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