The dust has now settled on the Minnesota Timberwolves’ first round playoff triumph over the Denver Nuggets. Attention has quickly shifted to facing the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals.
Tip off is Monday night, and the stakes couldn’t have been any higher for both sides. For the Timberwolves in particular, a third straight trip to the conference finals will be on their agenda.
As head coach Chris Finch’s side ramps up preparation, the mood in practice has been positive following the latest news on star guard Anthony Edwards.
Anthony Edwards Return Sooner Than Expected?
All eyes heading into Game 1 will be on Edwards and his progress from a left knee injury. The progress is reportedly going well, as fresh updates have raised optimism for his potential return much earlier in the series.
GettyAnthony Edwards celebrates during a game.
The Wolves have now listed the 24-year-old star as questionable.
The new health update is a surprising one because the initial diagnosis was that Edwards was going to miss time even though he avoided ligament damage. But the ailment was enough to make him miss the first few games of the second round series.
Edwards, who dealt with nagging issues during the regular season, suffered a bone bruise and hyperextension in his left knee in Game 4 against Denver. He ended up missing both Games 5 and 6 and is projected to be out at least late in the second round.
However, Edwards has been aggressive in his rehab and he went through a light on-court workout with the team Saturday, followed by another session on Sunday, according to reports.
According to The Athletic, the Wolves will make further determination on Edwards’ status after Monday’s shoot around.
It has been a challenging season for Edwards who is set to miss out on awards recognition due to injuries that limited his game time.
A Stern Second Round Test
With or without Edwards, the Timberwolves will have their work cut out against the Spurs. Edwards status doesn’t mean an automatic green card to play and head coach Chris Finch will want to apply caution to prevent any serious injury. Edwards wasn’t at 100% in the first round before his injury.
Players like Jaden McDaniels, with 32 points and 10 rebounds in the series-clinching Game 6, have stepped up in the absence of Edwards. They will have to trend on that path again if he isn’t cleared to play in Game 1 of the second round.
Advancing against San Antonio will demand even more effort. Minnesota will most likely need to play at twice the intensity they showed against Denver to potentially compensate for Edwards’ missing production.
However, the latest update of Edwards will no doubt be a momentum swinger and whether he will suit up on Monday will remain under speculation until tip-off approaches.
Minnesota will be aiming for another conference finals while San Antion have their eyes set on a first conference semis since 2017. The Timberwolves took the regular season head-to-head winning two of their three encounters. That wouldn’t matter much in the context of the playoffs.
Tip-off is on Monday night with the Spurs holding home court advantage.
Timberwolves Announce Major Anthony Edwards News Before Game 1