The Minnesota Timberwolves are 2-1 to begin the season. They opened up with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers before falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in their second game. On Sunday, the Timberwolves beat the Indiana Pacers, but they did so without their star player.
Anthony Edwards left Sunday’s win after just three minutes with a hamstring injury. Minnesota was hopeful it was nothing serious, but hamstring injuries are always tough to judge, especially for someone as explosive as Edwards. On Monday, the team figured out just how long they would be without Edwards.
Per Shams Charania of ESPN, Edwards will miss at least two weeks with a right hamstring strain.
Anthony Edwards’ Start to the Season
GettyAnthony Edwards will miss at least two weeks with a right hamstring strain.
Edwards was having an MVP-type start to the season. In his two full games played, the Georgia product scored 41 and 31 points, shot 50% from three-point range, and well over 50% from the floor. He seemed poised to take another giant step forward on the offensive side of the court and was making an extremely early case for Most Valuable Player.
On Sunday, Edwards was 2-for-5 from the field and 1-for-3 from beyond the arc before injuring his hamstring. He is the type of player who wants to be on the court and will give his team 35-plus minutes per game. In fact, Edwards averaged more than 35 minutes played per game in each of the last three seasons.
The 24-year-old is going to be hard to replace, but Minnesota will want to be sure not to rush him back to the court. Hamstring injuries are always tough, and there is going to be a risk for re-injury if Edwards returns too soon.
How Do the Timberwolves Replace Edwards?
GettyJulius Randle is averaging 25.3 points per game to start the year.
Scoring is going to be the hardest area of Edwards’ game to replace. He scored 72 points through the first two games, and the Timberwolves will have to find ways to replace that in the aggregate.
Julius Randle looks to be the main scoring threat in Minnesota now. Through three games, Randle is averaging 25.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game. He is shooting 57.4% from the field and just under 50% from three. On Sunday, with Edwards leaving early, Randle dropped 31 points.
As for Edwards’ spot in the starting five, Mike Conley is a candidate to replace him. Conley began the season on the bench, but he played 25 minutes on Sunday. In the first two games, Conley played just 13 and nine minutes. With the star player out, it seems Conley is most likely to be the main guard to take his minutes.
Bones Hyland, Jaylen Clark, and Terrance Shannon Jr. should each see an increase in minutes, as well. They all played double-digit minutes on Sunday, with Hyland seeing the largest increase. Edwards is set to miss at least seven games, so at least one of these three players will have to step up in his absence.
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