Blow for Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, Knocked Out

The Minnesota Timberwolves have confirmed a significant absence in the crucial stretch of the season. Anthony Edwards will be sidelined for at least one to two weeks due to inflammation in his right knee, as announced by the franchise this Tuesday.

The shooting guard, a four-time All-Star, had been listed as "questionable" in the team's last two games, although he was able to play in both. He first delivered an outstanding performance with 42 points in the away victory against the Golden State Warriors, and then scored 19 points in the loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Following these persistent discomforts, he underwent an MRI that confirmed the inflammation, and he will be reevaluated at the end of the month.

There is some optimism conveyed from the team, as the injury should not impact his availability for the playoffs.

Edwards' absence comes at a critical moment. Minnesota will be without their star in the match against the Phoenix Suns, a direct confrontation in the Western Conference between the sixth-placed (41-27) and the seventh-placed (39-29) teams. Furthermore, his absence marks the eleventh game missed this season, during which he has also been out due to hamstring and toe issues.

This situation also has individual implications. According to the NBA regulation implemented in the 2023-24 season, players must play a minimum of 65 games to be eligible for individual awards. In practical terms, this means not exceeding 17 absences. With seven games scheduled in the next two weeks, if Edwards uses the entire recovery period, he will reach that limit.

There is an important detail: although he is listed with 58 games played, one of them—the October 26 game against the Indiana Pacers—does not count towards eligibility as he barely played three minutes. Therefore, he has 57 valid games and needs to participate in at least eight more to be eligible for his third All-NBA recognition and other end-of-season awards. After a possible absence period, Minnesota would have only seven games left to play.

Edwards' Stats

Despite the physical setbacks, Edwards is having the best season of his career, averaging 29.5 points per game, the third-highest in the league, only behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31.6) and Luka Doncic (32.9).

The team now returns home after a challenging tour, finishing with a 1-3 record, and faces a crucial stretch in the fight to avoid the play-in. The Timberwolves currently have a two-game lead over Phoenix, although the Suns hold the tiebreaker. Falling to the seventh position would mean participating in the play-in tournament to reach the playoffs.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Mazazo para Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, KO