Anthony Edwards may be closer to returning than the Minnesota Timberwolves expected, and Mike Conley said the speed of his ramp-up has been hard to miss.
Edwards is listed as questionable for Game 1 of the Timberwolves’ second-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday, May 4, after suffering a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise in Minnesota’s first-round series against the Denver Nuggets. The NBA noted that Edwards was upgraded for the opener and “might be back” barely more than a week after the injury.
That is why Conley’s reaction matters. The veteran guard did not say Edwards is ready to play, but he made clear that Edwards’ activity level has changed the feel around the Timberwolves.
“Just seeing him in the building, part of our practices, a part of our shootaround, just being active, it just gave us all that hope like, oh, he’s right around the corner,” Conley said, per a video from Minnesota Star Tribune reporter Chris Hine. “He’s going to be close.”
Anthony Edwards Injury: Is He Playing Tonight?
Edwards is officially questionable for Timberwolves-Spurs Game 1. That means Minnesota has not ruled him in or out, and his final status may not be known until closer to tipoff.
The series opener is scheduled for Monday night at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. The NBA listed the game for 9:30 p.m. ET on Peacock/NBC Sports.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported that Edwards suffered the injury on April 25, traveled with the Timberwolves to San Antonio and was cleared for basketball activities before Minnesota’s Monday morning shootaround. Slater also reported that Edwards’ personal YouTube video showed him running on an underwater treadmill, with Timberwolves vice president of medical performance David Hines describing a one-to-two-week recovery timeline.
Slater also spoke to Juluis Randle at Timberwolves shooting around, asking about Edwards’ status.
How does he look? “I can’t tell you that.”
“He’s pushing to play Game 1? … Who knows. We’ll see at 8:30.”
That does not guarantee Edwards will play in Game 1. It does, however, explain why the conversation has changed so quickly from “when later in the series?” to “could he actually go tonight?”
Anthony Edwards’ Injury Status Has Changed Dramatically in the Last 24 Hours
Conley said the most notable part was not that Edwards immediately looked like himself at full speed. It was that Edwards was back doing meaningful work so soon after what initially looked like a more damaging injury.
“I think how quickly he was able to get back, even getting on the court, shooting — not necessarily going 100 miles an hour at first — but the fact that he had the kind of injury he had and then, you look at him a week later and he’s doing the things he was doing on the court, it was pretty amazing how fast he’s kind of got to that point,” Conley said.
That is the clearest teammate-level signal that Edwards’ return is no longer a distant idea. The Timberwolves were already bracing for the possibility that he would miss time in the Spurs series. Now, his status is at least uncertain enough for San Antonio to prepare for multiple versions of Minnesota’s offense.
Edwards’ availability also matters because Minnesota is already managing other injuries. Reuters reported that Ayo Dosunmu was also questionable for Game 1 because of right calf soreness, while Edwards had averaged 28.8 points in the regular season and 18.5 points with 6.8 rebounds in the Denver series before the injury.
Timberwolves-Spurs Could Be Determined by Anthony Edwards’ Availability
The betting market still reflects how vulnerable Minnesota could be if Edwards is limited or unavailable. DraftKings Network listed the Spurs as 13.5-point favorites for Game 1, with the total at 217.5 points.
That number is not just about Edwards. San Antonio has home-court advantage, a healthier offensive structure and Victor Wembanyama anchoring a defense that can shrink the floor. But Edwards is the one Timberwolves player who can most directly change the math of the series.
If Edwards plays, even at less than full strength, Minnesota has another creator who can pressure the rim, force rotations and make the Spurs defend late-clock possessions differently. If he sits, the burden shifts more heavily to Conley, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert to manufacture enough offense against a San Antonio team built around length and rim protection.
There is also a psychological component, which Conley acknowledged. Minnesota does not need Edwards to declare himself 100% for his presence to matter. Seeing him active in the building and involved in practice has already given the Timberwolves a lift.
“Obviously, we’re excited to get him back when he’s ready,” Conley said. “But we got a team that’s ready to go.”
That is the balance Minnesota has to strike entering Game 1. Edwards’ rapid progress has created real hope, but the Timberwolves still need the medical staff, coaching staff and Edwards himself to decide whether “close” is close enough against the Spurs.
Anthony Edwards ‘Pretty Amazing’ As Return From Injury Nears in Timberwolves-Spurs