Heading into the playoffs, it was clear that Anthony Edwards' health would be a key swing factor for the Minnesota Timberwolves' upset chances. The 24-year-old missed 11 out of the Wolves' last 13 games with a knee injury. Game 1's 116-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets was a mixed bag for Ant, and it looked like his knee was hampering him to some extent.
Ant's playmaking (seven assists), defense (three blocks and solid one-on-one possessions), and rebounding (nine boards) were all positives. However, it was an off-shooting night for Edwards, who shot 7-of-19 from the field. The main concern for me is that Ant was not attacking the rim, instead, he was settling for difficult jump shots. Ant was 5-of-6 on paint shots and 2-of-13 from the rest of the floor, which included nine 3-pointers.
Perhaps this is simply shooting luck and will turn around as the series goes on. Nevertheless, the Ant-Man we are used to would get to the rim at will against a weak Nuggets' defense, especially if he was having an off-shooting night. Furthermore, in general, he didn't look to have his typical burst.
For the Timberwolves to claw back into this series, they'll need Ant to attack the rim more, but with his knee injury, it's unclear if this is a genuine possibility.
It's unclear if Edwards can attack the rim at an elite rate due to his knee injury
Entering the series, it was always clear that the Wolves' main advantage was going to be Ant. The Nuggets don't have a natural matchup for him (especially with Peyton Watson injured), and Nikola Jokic's poor rim protection gives Ant an easy path to attack the rack.
This is one of the main reasons why the Wolves have typically had success against the Nuggets in recent years. Likewise, Edwards attacking the rim with force is the easiest route for the Wolves to pull off an upset.
I don't want to overreact to one game, as there's certainly a strong chance that Edwards can get back to his normal elite self later in the series. Still, after his shot diet in Game 1 and lingering knee injury, it's fair to wonder if Ant will be able to be the superhero Minnesota needs him to be.
It's worth noting that despite the Nuggets having a poor defense in general, they did a great job of loading up on Ant and making him uncomfortable. Plus, as mentioned, Edwards made the right reads as a playmaker. Regardless, the best version of Ant-Man isn't affected by any style of coverage and would provide more rim pressure than he did on Saturday.
The possibility of Ant not being at his best is more terrifying when accounting for the Wolves' inconsistent secondary creation. Edwards' running mate, Julius Randle, shot just 7-of-16 from the field and settled for several questionable shots on Saturday.
After a week off and barely playing to close the regular season, it's possible Edwards is simply rusty. Timberwolves fans are certainly hoping this is the case.
However, it's hard not to at least acknowledge the more sinister outcome, that Ant's knee will hamper him throughout the series, a scenario that would doom the Wolves' upset chances.
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