UPDATE: This is from Shams Charania of The Athletic on Sunday morning.
Good news: Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards has exited a walking boot and is moving around more as swelling decreases in ankle sprain suffered Friday, per sources. Edwards is expected to be evaluated day-to-day on a return.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 19, 2023
This update — likely from Edwards’ agent/camp trying to put a positive spin on things — should lift the spirit of Timberwolves fans, especially combined with the coach’s comments that the sprain was “not as bad as initially feared.” There still is no timeline for Edwards’ return.
Minnesota is walking a fine line between needing their young star back on the court and wanting to make sure his ankle is fully healed before he plays again — ankles are incredibly easy to re-injure if not fully healed. The Timberwolves (and Edwards) don’t want this to be a lingering issue into the postseason.
-----------------------------------
This could knock the Timberwolves’ playoff dream off its axis.
While saying the injury was “not as bad as initially feared,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said pregame on Saturday that Anthony Edwards is still in a walking boot and out indefinitely — day to day, officially — with an ankle injury.
Chris Finch said Ant is still in a boot and they don’t have a sense of how long he might be out. https://t.co/UrbaVpKpPA
— Alan Horton (@WolvesRadio) March 18, 2023
This is no small thing, Edwards has not missed a game this season and prides himself on playing nightly in a load management era.
Edwards has evolved into Minnesota’s primary shot creator and leading scorer, averaging 24.7 points a game this season. His role expanded with Karl-Anthony Towns out due to a calf injury, and the Timberwolves’ offensive rating falls to 109.6 when he is off the court (which would be the worst in the league over the course of a season). Minnesota has been outscored by 3.4 points per 100 possessions when Edwards sits.
Now the Timberwolves will have to rework their offense amid a play-in chase where they sit as the No. 8 seed but are just one game above missing the postseason entirely. Kyle Anderson, Mike Conley and Jaden McDaniels will have more asked of them. Conley, in particular, who has intentionally been more of a playmaker since the trade that brought him to Minnesota, needs to step up his scoring. Without the downhill play of Edwards, Minnesota needs Conley to get into the paint and hit some floaters.
Edwards injured his ankle when inadvertently came down on Alex Caruso’s foot against the Bulls on Friday night.
For those who haven't seen the Anthony Edwards right ankle injury: #Timberwolves #RaisedByWolves pic.twitter.com/5LozJ7nHN3
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) March 18, 2023
There have been no details about the severity injury (outside of Finch’s “not as bad as feared” comment), but he’s going to miss time. Minnesota has to hope that doesn’t expand into the postseason.
