The Minnesota Timberwolves are headed for the final stretch of the regular season. While they've surrendered first place to the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets, they can still reclaim that top spot for themselves this season if they're able to push. However, that being said… they are dealing with injuries to two of their star players in Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert.
Both Edwards and Gobert were present during the Timberwolves' win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, their presence did not necessarily mean that they were free from their injuries. Far from it, actually: both stars played IN SPITE of said injuries. It's no surprise that Edwards and Gobert are still listed as questionable for their upcoming game against the Golden State Warriors, per the injury report.
Battered Timberwolves
The Timberwolves' injury list is in itself quite thin. For their game against the Warriors, only four players have been given an official indication. However, the magnitude of their injuries is quite serious. Aside from Gobert and Edwards, the other notable name on the list is Karl-Anthony Towns.
Towns suffered a knee injury early in march, an injury that would later be described as a meniscus tear. The Timberwolves center went under the knife to fix the injury. As a result, Towns will be out for at least a month, when he'll be reevaluated by the team.
To say that Towns is integral to the Timberwolves' gameplan would be an understatement. While the offense runs mostly through Edwards, the center functions as an important second option for the team. His elite shooting from deep as well as his post presence makes him the perfect complement to Edwards' slashing and scoring.
Edwards' and Gobert's injury, revisited
To make matters worse for the Timberwolves, both Edwards and Gobert suffered injuries in the same month. For Edwards, the superstar wing injured his hand during a vicious dunk. While the dunk is highlight-worthy (some may say Dunk of the Year candidate), Edwards suffered a left finger injury as a result. However, he hasn't missed a bunch of time.
Gobert's injury, on the other hand, was much more serious. Gobert had been out for a week due to what the Timberwolves called a “rib sprain” injury. Rib injuries are particularly hard to deal with, and that was evidenced by the star center being out for almost a week. The ‘Wolves center just recently made his return to the lineup against the Cavs, playing 37 minutes. He scored nine points, grabbed 14 points, and recorded two blocks.
The future of Timberwolves
Even if the Timberwolves get Gobert and Edwards back full-time, they are not quite out of the woods yet. There's no guarantee that Karl-Anthony Towns' injury will heal in the next two months. They're virtually a lock for a playoff spot, but a losing skid could be disastrous for the home playoff chances.
That being said, the Timberwolves should still be in a pretty decent scenario all things considered. The last few weeks have shown that the team can survive even without one of their key cogs. Edwards has stepped up nicely for the team as the alpha, of course, but there are other key contributors.
Naz Reid is proving he's more than just a meme, filling in for the injured Towns in the Timberwolves' starting lineup. Jaden McDaniels' ascent continues, as he's slowly improved day-by-day. And, of course, there's the usual veterans backing them up: Mike Conley, Kyle Anderson, and Monte Morris have been solid for them.
That being said… if this team wants to go deep in the playoffs, they will definitely need Karl-Anthony Towns back and for Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards to avoid further injury. Those three are the lifeblood of the Timberwolves, and this team will go nowhere without their stars.
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