Anthony Edwards will miss up to two months after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Thursday. The Timberwolves star scored 47 points in overtime against Cleveland on Monday before the team decided to address the injury early, targeting December for his return.
Edwards dealt with the same knee last season. He grabbed at it during Sunday's win over Toronto and was downgraded to out for Wednesday's game against Golden State after being listed as questionable Tuesday.
The Wolves are 3-1 and in their first week relied on the pairing of Edwards and LaMelo Ball, acquired from Charlotte in June. Edwards averaged 33.3 points per game and led the league with 18 made 3-pointers at 40% through the early season.
Without Edwards, Ball must carry more offensive load. He is averaging 14.8 points this season, down from over 20 with the Hornets last year. The Wolves operated at a bottom-10 offensive rate over non-garbage-time possessions when Ball played without Edwards.
Jalen McDaniels becomes the key. He is averaging 15 points on 59% shooting and 42% from 3-point range. McDaniels scored 32 points and grabbed 10 boards in Game 6 against Denver last year when Edwards was sidelined with the same knee injury.
Donte DiVincenzo is rehabbing a torn Achilles. Terrence Shannon Jr. has been sensational early. Jonathan Kuminga and Ayo Dosunmu can contribute, but neither replaces Edwards' production.
Minnesota has a relatively soft schedule through December with 16 of their next 26 games at home. They face the Spurs, Rockets, Knicks, Thunder, and Lakers twice among their next 26 games.