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Anthony Edwards is out for Game 6 against the Denver Nuggets, according to the NBA’s latest injury report, giving the Minnesota Timberwolves a final status on their star guard before Thursday’s elimination-stage matchup. There are no more “questionable” updates to wait on with Edwards for this game: Minnesota must try to close the series without him.
That changes the Timberwolves-Nuggets outlook in a direct way. Edwards is Minnesota’s most explosive half-court scorer, its best pressure athlete and the player most capable of bending Denver’s defense without a set play. Without him, the Wolves need more structure, more pace and more clean decision-making from the guards who remain available.
That is where Mike Conley comes in.
The veteran guard was asked by Timberwolves reporter Dane Moore how he views his role with Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo out of the lineup. Conley’s answer was less about replacing Edwards’ scoring and more about keeping Minnesota from bogging down.
Asked Mike Conley about his new role with Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo out of the lineup and how he assesses success for himself in that role.
“If I can find a way to continue to keep our pace up, get guys the ball in places where they can be effective… I think when
Due to Anthony Edwards’ Game 6 status being out, Conley’s job becomes bigger than a traditional point guard assignment. Minnesota needs him to organize possessions, keep the offense moving and make sure the Wolves’ remaining scorers are catching the ball in places where they can do something with it.
“If I can find a way to continue to keep our pace up, get guys the ball in places where they can be effective,” Conley told Moore, “I think when our offense is rolling really good, when we just have a free flowing motion, I think that’s a lot of things that I bring as a point guard.”
That is the practical challenge of playing without Edwards. The Timberwolves cannot simply ask one player to mimic his downhill force. They have to recreate enough offensive pressure collectively.
Conley pointed to “the stability of all that” as part of what he can provide. He also said he needs to keep taking the right shots and become more aggressive when opportunities are there.
“For myself, just knocking down shots when I get em, making plays when I can, be more aggressive when I can,” Conley said. “I feel like I’ve been playin pretty good the last month or so of the season and feel real confident in the game. So I think I need to be more aggressive when it comes to just making plays and looking for opportunities.”
That matters because Denver can defend Minnesota differently without Edwards. The Nuggets no longer have to shade the same amount of help toward Edwards’ drives or load up against his isolation touches. That can shrink the floor for Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert and Minnesota’s secondary creators unless Conley keeps the ball moving early in the clock.
Edwards is not Minnesota’s only backcourt problem. DiVincenzo is also out after suffering a ruptured right Achilles in Game 4, an injury that will end his season. Reuters reported that DiVincenzo sustained the injury early in the Timberwolves’ Game 4 win over Denver, while Edwards later exited with a left knee injury.
That combination is what makes Game 6 so different from the series Minnesota started. Edwards’ absence removes the Wolves’ top shot creator. DiVincenzo’s absence removes another high-volume floor spacer, cutter and secondary handler.
The Wolves did get an immediate jolt after the injuries, with Ayo Dosunmu delivering a career-high 43 points in Game 4 as Minnesota took a 3-1 series lead. Dosunmu’s performance came while the Wolves were dealing with the loss of both Edwards and DiVincenzo.
And now, Dosunmu is questionable for Game 6 with right calf soreness, according to the NBA’s injury report.
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
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