More than a week removed from the All-Star break, the Minnesota Timberwolves currently sit three games above .500. With the end of the season in sight, the team is preparing for its first postseason since the short-lived Jimmy Butler era. But the length of the NBA calendar can be taxing on players’ health. The regular season spans nearly six months, so it’s expected for players to sustain a few bumps and bruises along the way. And as the season progresses, the more players we’ve seen listed on the injury report – including Anthony Edwards.
From flu-like symptoms in December to jumper’s knee in January, Ant’s sophomore year has been trying at times. Every time Edwards looks to begin his big second-year leap, it seems as though another setback occurs. These sorts of setbacks can be both physically and mentally draining for players. And it’s beginning to show for Edwards. In his last five outings, Mr. A1 has managed to put up just 14.4 points per contest on nauseating shooting splits of nearly 33/25/56.
After knocking knees with Brooklynn’s Day’Ron Sharpe during the final minute and a half of a Jan. 23 win over the Brooklyn Nets, it was unclear exactly how much trouble Edwards’s knee was giving him. He dropped 40 points against the Portland Trail Blazers just 48 hours later.
But after losing to the new-look Sacramento Kings on Feb. 9, Ant stated that his knee had bothered him for the last month or so. And while some members of Ant’s team may not have been willing to “hear that shit,” the organization as a whole must be cautious with its franchise player’s health.
We’ve seen it happen far too many times: A young prospect gets drafted by a team looking to turn things around. He begins to dazzle everyone who watches him early on. Then he sustains an injury out of nowhere. An injury so severe that it negatively alters both the player’s fate and the organization that drafted them. Sure, injuries tend to be freak accidents. But in many cases, players’ health is often mismanaged long before they are on the receiving end of a career-altering injury.
Think about what happened with Derrick Rose. He looked like a local hero after being named MVP in 201l. Rose, 22, was the youngest player ever to win the award and looked like a cornerstone player for the Chicago Bulls. But Rose suffered a torn ACL during a playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers a year later, and it would forever change the future of Rose and the Bulls. Sure, Rose shouldn’t have even been playing because the game was pretty much over. But an ACL tear wasn’t the only injury the fourth-year guard sustained that season. The 23-year-old Rose played in only 39 of the Bulls’ 66 regular-season games because of turf toe, back spasms, a pulled groin, and foot injuries.
Should the Timberwolves be worried? Not if they want to end up like the Bulls of the early 2010s.
Whether you like it or not, the future of this Wolves team rests on Ant’s shoulders. We’ve witnessed Karl-Anthony Towns do his best at getting this team to the playoffs by himself. And it just wasn’t enough. But having Edwards fulfilling his full potential alongside KAT would almost certainly catapult this franchise into success. But Minnesota needs to be doing everything it can to ensure that Edwards is at full strength as often as possible. And the best way to do that? Resting him.
Sure, resting players who aren’t injured can get teams in trouble. And the Wolves know this first hand. Back in 2020, they were fined $25,000 for resting a healthy D’Angelo Russell during a road game against the Denver Nuggets.
Even minor injuries can eventually be what offset major ones down the line. And keeping a key player from playing to heal these minor injuries is a must for a Wolves team looking to be a household name for years to come. Per Chris Hine of the Star Tribune, head coach Chris Finch stated that the organization was treating Ant’s knee soreness. He then followed this statement up by saying, “You know Ant, he thinks he can always do it and play through everything.” Which is what a young, 20-year old would say.
To put it mildly, the Timberwolves organization cannot afford to mess this up. Anthony Edwards has bona fide superstar potential. Dwyane Wade Ant’s game reminds Wade of his. And botching the future of both Edwards and the team due to letting the kid play through injuries would only setback this franchise to the days of David Kahn. I’ve been a Timberwolves fan for nearly 20 years and will be going to my first-ever game in Minnesota later this week. Of course, I want to see Black Jesus in the flesh. But do you know what else I want to see? Health. Because with health comes wins. And dammit, I think we can all agree that we want to see this Wolves team win.
