There’s no way to sugarcoat it: it’s terrible news that Anthony Edwards is undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery that could sideline him for around two months, possibly even longer.
The show must go on, though, and the good news is that the Minnesota Timberwolves can take advantage of a home-heavy schedule without Edwards. Eleven of their next 14 games will be at the Target Center.
There are two likely candidates to take his place in the starting lineup: Terrence Shannon Jr. and Ayo Dosunmu. The Timberwolves seem to prefer Dosunmu off the bench, making Shannon the more likely starter.
Shannon’s excellent play to begin the year could earn him a starting spot
If Shannon hadn’t started so well, he wouldn’t be in line to take Edwards’ spot as the Wolves’ starting shooting guard. Inconsistent play and injuries have plagued the 26-year-old in his first two NBA seasons.
In the first four games this year, though, Shannon has scored in double figures in all four. He shot much better from 3-point range last season, and that has continued, with multiple made 3s in each contest. Overall, he is averaging 13 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, on 50/50/71.4 shooting splits.
Dosumnu has been solid as expected, but Minnesota seems to have consigned him to a sixth-man role this year. Before signing Jonathan Kuminga, most assumed Dosumnu would start, but Chris Finch and Tim Connelly made it clear Jaden McDaniels wouldn’t start at power forward. Dosumnu is still averaging 26.3 minutes per game off the bench, and that could slightly increase with Edwards out.
If Shannon keeps shooting well from deep (he’s 10-for-20 on 3-pointers so far), he would benefit from playing more alongside LaMelo Ball. Shannon is also adept at drawing fouls, which Minnesota needs more of without Edwards.
Neither player can fully replace Edwards’ scoring. Very few players in the league could do so. Edwards scored 47 points in the Wolves' last game, and he averages 33.3 points over four contests, second only to Luka Doncic in the NBA. If he misses 27 games (which would be two months to the day), the Timberwolves still have 51 games left on the schedule, and hopefully Edwards will show less knee pain after surgery.
Starting Shannon doesn’t mean he’s a better player than Dosunmu. It’s just the bench role the Timberwolves want Dosunmu to have, and one he’s grown comfortable in.
We will find out by Wednesday night when the Timberwolves take on the Golden State Warriors, and Chris Finch will decide whether Shannon, Dosunmu, or someone else is best suited to take Edwards’ starting spot.
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