Anthony Edwards is one of the best players in the NBA. At just 25 years of age, Edwards has turned himself into one of the most prominent scorers the league has to offer. And while he’s carried his Minnesota Timberwolves to the playoffs in five consecutive seasons, the four-time NBA All-Star presumably wants more.
And while the new-look Timberwolves will undoubtedly need their superstar at 100% to get them over the playoff-hump, it actually took Edwards NOT playing basketball for two consecutive months just to reach 100% yet again.
Edwards suffered a hypertension of his left knee during the first round of the playoffs last season. The original injury came against the Denver Nuggets and usually carries a multiple-week absence. Edwards, however, was able to return just nine days later to play against the San Antonio Spurs.
Anthony Edwards Reveals Shocking Healing Process From This Offseason
And during a recent conversation with reporters at Timberwolves training camp, Edwards revealed he needed to take two whole months off from basketball to return to full-form. Timberwolves beat writer for Sports Illustrated, Andrew Dukowitz, posted a clip of Edwards revealing his rehabilitation timeline.
“After the season I needed like two months. I took really like two months off to really let my knee heal,” Edwards said.
Anyone with knowledge of Edwards’ initial injury shouldn’t be surprised he required time off to heal and get back to full strength. But, learning that Edwards didn’t touch a basketball for the entirety of two months is shocking to hear. He spoke on how tough it was to process not only physically, but mentally as well.
“It was super tough. I put on a lot of weight and now I’ve lost it so I’m good. After doing all the treatments with C Hines and Javair, I got back right, so I feel great,” Edwards said on his rehabilitation process.
Edwards mentions “C Hines” and “Javair”. Chris Hines is the Director of Player Development for the Timberwolves. Javair Gillet is the Vice President of Sports Science and Performance for the Timberwolves.
The reporters taking in this new information, rightfully so, had follow-up questions. The most obvious was, “What does (Anthony) Edwards do when he can’t play basketball?”
“I just play the game, and be a dad, that’s it. Be a husband, be a dad, and play the game, all I do is play the game. Wake up, 6:30 in the morning, with my baby girl, do what ever she wants to do. Go back to sleep a little bit, get some treatment, and then just play the game,” Edwards said.
Edwards Looks To Take Game To MVP Level
The hype has always been there for Edwards. He was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Timberwolves and the sky has been the limit ever since. He finished runner-up in the Rookie of the Year Award voting, and has been named an All-Star the past four seasons.
Even without a steady point guard by his side, Edwards still managed to finish third in the league in scoring last season (28.8 points per game), behind only Luka Doncic (33.5) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.1). According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Edwards is the seventh-favorite to win the NBA MVP award this season (plus-2000).
Edwards’ coach, Chris Finch, has even pointed out the few things his superstar player needs to work on to take his game to the next level. Now that Edwards is 100% healthy, the likelihood of those things happening is creeping toward 100% as well.
Anthony Edwards Admits He Took Two Months Off From Basketball This Offseason