Anthony Edwards is expected to return for the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs.
ESPN’s Shams Charania said on “NBA Today” that Edwards has received medical clearance and is expected to play Monday night, barring a setback during pregame warmups. That is a significant shift for Minnesota after Edwards suffered a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise during the Timberwolves’ first-round series against the Denver Nuggets.
“Anthony Edwards has received medical clearance and is expected to play tonight in Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs barring any setback in his pregame warmups,” Charania said.
The Timberwolves had officially listed Edwards as questionable for Game 1, and NBA.com/AP reported that the All-Star guard had been cleared for on-court basketball activities. Edwards was injured in Game 4 against Denver, putting his early-series availability against San Antonio in doubt.
Now, unless something changes before tipoff, Minnesota appears to be getting its franchise player back for the start of the Western Conference semifinals.
Anthony Edwards is Expected To Play Tonight
Edwards’ expected return changes the feel of Game 1 for the Timberwolves. No more wondering “is Anthony Edwards playing tonight?”
Minnesota already faced a difficult assignment against a Spurs team that earned the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. San Antonio won 62 games during the regular season, while Minnesota entered the series as a heavy underdog.
Without Edwards, the Timberwolves would have been asking Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley and the rest of the rotation to manufacture enough offense against one of the West’s best teams. Minnesota had already been taxed after the season-ending injury to Donte DiVincenzo. With Edwards, Minnesota gets back its top shot creator, transition threat and late-clock option.
That matters even if Edwards is not fully at peak form.
Edwards averaged 28.8 points per game during the regular season and he was especially productive against San Antonio. NBA.com/AP reported that Edwards averaged 36.7 points in three games against the Spurs this season.
That production is the simplest reason this update matters. Minnesota does not just need Edwards’ name in the lineup. The Timberwolves need the pressure he puts on a defense, the drives, the pull-up shooting, the ability to draw extra help and create cleaner looks for everyone else.
Will Anthony Edwards be on a Minutes Restriction?
The Timberwolves have not publicly announced a specific minutes restriction for Edwards, and it is unknown if he will start.
That makes pregame warmups important. Charania’s report included the qualifier that Edwards is expected to play barring a setback, which means Minnesota still has to see how the knee responds before tipoff.
Even if Edwards is cleared, the Timberwolves have reasons to be careful. ESPN reported that Edwards had been managing inflammation in his right knee over the past month in addition to the left knee injury from the Denver series. ESPN also cited Timberwolves medical performance VP David Hines saying Edwards’ return depended on pain management, mobility and functional strength.
That points to a practical question: Can Edwards handle his usual playoff workload immediately?
Edwards played 119 minutes in four games against Denver before the Spurs series, according to Basketball Reference’s playoff totals, which comes out to just under 30 minutes per game. He averaged 18.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in that first-round series.
For now, the most important update is the biggest one: Edwards is trending toward playing.
If he gets through warmups cleanly, Minnesota’s Game 1 outlook looks very different than it did when his second-round status was first in doubt.
Anthony Edwards Injury Return: Star Expected to Play Wolves-Spurs Game 1