Anthony Edwards, who was reportedly pushing his limits to play tonight in Game 1 of the Timberwolves’ second-round series against the Spurs, has received clearance from the team’s medical staff and has been upgraded to available for tonight’s game.
“Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards is expected to play in Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs, barring any setback pregame, per ESPN sources. Just nine days removed from his left knee injury, and after the team had expected him to return mid-series, Edwards has received medical clearance and will get final sign-off after his pregame routine,” wrote Shams Charania, ESPN’s Senior NBA insider, on X.
“Edwards has tried multiple treatments over the last several days, including hyperbaric chamber sessions, to expedite his timetable. He will go through his pregame warmups with the plan to play. For the Wolves, an unforeseen healing period over the last 24 hours has Edwards ready for Game 1,” Charania further added.
Before Game 1, however, Chris Finch, the Timberwolves’ head coach, also revealed that he will most likely be on a minutes restriction tonight and may not even start.
“Ofcourse, you’re looking at how well he moves and what percentage of himself he looks like,” said Finch on what the Timberwolves looked at before deciding on Edwards’ availability tonight. “But he looks pretty good out there… And we’re excited to have him back.”
“He loves to play the game. We dodged a bullet when it happened. He’s done an incredible job, and our medical staff has done an unbelievable job of getting him to this point. He was super motivated by the fact that we were able to get that first series, and I think that was a little bit of an inspiration for him, too.”
Finch did not confirm if Edwards will start tonight or come off the bench. But the team’s PR page later confirmed that Edwards will not be a part of the starting lineup. Here’s what the Game 1 starting lineup looks like for the Timberwolves:
PG: Mike Conley
SG: Terrance Shannon Jr.
SF: Jaden McDaniels
PF: Julius Randle
C: Rudy Gobert
Ideally, if fully healthy, Edwards would have started tonight with Mike Conley, as Ayo Dosunmu and Donte DiVincenzo are both listed out for this game, hence their roster’s guard depth is stretched thin, and they will want to use Terrance Shannon Jr. to bring some scoring off the bench.
But considering that he is recovering from a hyperextension and several other knee issues, the staff probably thought it was safest for him to come off the bench.
So far, the 24-year-old superstar is averaging 18.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 35.8% from the field and 25.8% from beyond the arc in the four games he has played so far in this season’s playoffs.
Even though Edwards has played like a shell of his usual self so far, it has likely been because he was already recovering from a runner’s knee that has been a lingering issue for him this season.
Therefore, even if Edwards can play for limited minutes tonight, the hopes will remain that his contributions don’t do more to his health as he has expedited his recovery timeline, which surely comes with added risk.
But being back on the floor is the only way he can get his athletic bounce back, especially since the Timberwolves would really need him to run their backcourt tonight. It will be interesting to see how the Timberwolves will use Edwards tonight and how it impacts the Spurs’ game plan.
