2 min read • March 02, 2022
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Timberwolves’ sophomore star Anthony Edwards was a late scratch for Tuesday night’s win over the Warriors as he continues to wrestle with the newly-labeled left patella tendinopathy.
Head coach Chris Finch said after the game that tonight seemed like a good night to rest Edwards – who had played in 128 of a potential 134 games since he was drafted, only missing time due to COVID-19 in December – on a back-to-back against a beat-up Warriors squad, but he would be day-to-day going forward.
Despite this being the 1st game missed due to injury of Edwards’ short career, the ProBasketballDocs are nonetheless concerned for what the tendinopathy signals for the rest of this season, leaving his SIC score at a low 78.
Finch has acknowledged now and in the past that this injury is affecting the 20-year-old’s play and his confidence and that “everything is on the table” to treat the injury that is limiting his trademark explosiveness.
The injury has slowed what has been a previously impressive 2021-22 season: Edwards is averaging 16.1 points on 37.8% shooting and 25.3% from 3 in 32.1 minutes in 12 February games, down from 22.1 points with 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 44.4% shooting and 36.6% from 3 in 35.2 minutes per game his first 44 games.
Tendinopathy does not go away immediately, and thus this ailment is something that will continue to haunt Edwards and need to be managed.
The good news is that it is not a dangerous injury representing significant tendon or ligament damage that will require surgery; the bad news, however, is that tendinopathy lingers and can impact Edwards’ ability to launch off of his left leg, which he uses to jump as he is right-handed.
The Wolves’ treatment plan has likely been hampered by Edwards himself, who is, by all accounts, a ferocious competitor who is eager to play through all ailments and who Finch has admitted needs to be more honest about his ongoing soreness.
Potential treatment methods include time off – as Minnesota used tonight – as well as a platelet-rich plasma injection, which would sideline Edwards for multiple weeks as he awaits How the Wolves choose to manage the injury will be something to watch going forward, as they have dueling interests in their current playoff aspirations and the future health of their franchise cornerstone.
Their strategy will likely boil down to 2 options: give Edwards occasional days off, likely back-to-backs and days of elevated soreness, or elect to give him a PRP injection that may, depending on the date of the injection, end his regular season, although he would be able to return for the playoffs.
Bottomline: don’t expect consistent or dependable play from Edwards in the Wolves’ final 19 games as he manages his marred left knee.
D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jaden McDaniels will each have to shoulder a greater scoring load, working with star big man Karl-Anthony Edwards for the No. 7 seed Timberwolves.
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