Asked Jaden McDaniels if the idea that Anthony Edwards potentially returning in this series serves as mental boost.
“I told him we’re gonna hold it til he gets ready.”
Getty
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards got some relieving comments from his teammate Jaden McDaniels ahead of the Spurs series.
Anthony Edwards does not have a firm return date for the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Jaden McDaniels made clear the team is not treating his absence as a reason to panic.
McDaniels offered a reassuring message for Edwards as the Timberwolves prepare to open their second-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs. Edwards is dealing with a left knee injury that has left his availability uncertain entering the series, putting even more pressure on Minnesota’s remaining core.
“Anytime you can get someone that’s been hurt back, especially Ant, just the gravity that he carries, even him just being on the court will help us out a lot,” McDaniels said, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. “Whenever he’s ready, I told him we’re going to hold it down until he gets ready.”
That last line matters for Minnesota. The Timberwolves are not just waiting on their leading star. They are trying to survive playoff minutes against Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox and a Spurs team with home-court advantage while Edwards works through a return timeline that remains unresolved.
The Timberwolves begin the series Monday, May 4, in San Antonio, with Game 1 scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT.
Asked Jaden McDaniels if the idea that Anthony Edwards potentially returning in this series serves as mental boost.
“I told him we’re gonna hold it til he gets ready.”
McDaniels’ message was not a medical update, but it was still a meaningful one for the Timberwolves.
Edwards’ value is obvious even when he is not fully healthy. His scoring, downhill pressure and shot creation change the way opponents guard Minnesota. As McDaniels noted, Edwards’ “gravity” alone affects the floor. Defenses load up differently when Edwards is available, and that can create cleaner looks for Julius Randle, Naz Reid, Rudy Gobert and Minnesota’s perimeter shooters.
Without Edwards, the Timberwolves have to manufacture offense in a different way. McDaniels becomes more than a defensive stopper. He has to attack mismatches, run the floor, hit corner threes and punish the Spurs when they tilt coverage toward Randle or Reid.
That is why McDaniels’ “hold it down” comment fits the moment. Minnesota does not need every non-Edwards player to become Edwards. It needs enough two-way production to keep the series from getting away before he has a chance to return.
McDaniels already showed he can carry a larger playoff load. He scored a playoff career-high 32 points with 10 rebounds in Minnesota’s Game 6 closeout win over the Denver Nuggets, according to Basketball Reference’s game log data. That kind of offensive eruption cannot be the nightly expectation, but it is the blueprint for how he can change a game while Edwards is out or limited.
Edwards’ status remains the biggest variable in the series.
The Timberwolves previously announced that Edwards underwent an MRI after injuring his left knee against Denver. The exam showed a hyperextended left knee and bone bruise with no ligament damage, and Minnesota classified him as week-to-week.
That creates a difficult balance for the Timberwolves. The absence of ligament damage is good news compared to a worst-case scenario, but a bone bruise is not something a player can simply ignore because the playoffs have started. Edwards’ game depends on burst, balance and the ability to absorb contact in traffic. If he cannot explode off that leg or land comfortably, his effectiveness changes.
It also makes McDaniels’ words more than a supportive quote. The Timberwolves may need to buy Edwards time. If Minnesota can split the first two games in San Antonio or at least keep the series competitive before returning to Target Center, the tone around Edwards’ return could look very different.
The Timberwolves-Spurs series starts Monday, May 4, at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
Game 1 is set for 8:30 p.m. CT on Peacock and NBC Sports Network. Game 2 follows Wednesday, May 6, at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. The series then shifts to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday, May 8, and Game 4 on Sunday, May 10.
That schedule does not give Minnesota much recovery time. There is only one day between Games 1 and 2, then one day before the series moves to Target Center for Game 3. For a player dealing with a knee injury, that matters.
It also raises the stakes for the rest of the Timberwolves’ rotation. Randle will likely have to shoulder more late-clock offense. Gobert will be central to the Wembanyama matchup. Reid’s scoring becomes even more important. McDaniels, meanwhile, has to be both a defensive answer and a reliable offensive release valve.
The Spurs are not easing Minnesota into the series. San Antonio has the higher seed, home court and one of the most difficult matchup problems in the league in Wembanyama.
But McDaniels’ message to Edwards captures the Timberwolves’ immediate job. They do not know exactly when their star guard will be ready. Until then, the series may come down to whether Minnesota can hold the line long enough for Edwards to matter again.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA, MLB and NFL for Heavy.com. He also focuses on the trading card market. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。