Anthony Edwards to have arthroscopic right knee surgery, could miss up to two months for the Timberwolves

A day after scoring 47 points in Cleveland, Anthony Edwards is headed for knee surgery. The Minnesota Timberwolves star needs an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee and could miss up to two months, according to reports Tuesday from ESPN’s Shams Charania and the Associated Press.

The AP’s report came from a person with knowledge of the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity, because the Timberwolves had not yet made a public announcement. As of these reports, the team had not given an official timeline.

What happened to Anthony Edwards?

Edwards had been on the injury report with a right knee issue, though it wasn’t clear exactly what the problem was, the AP said. Before Monday’s game in Cleveland, Minnesota listed him as questionable with what the team called right knee injury management. He was cleared and then scored 47 in a 127-125 overtime loss.

After that game, the Timberwolves listed him as questionable for Wednesday’s home game against the Golden State Warriors. The AP said the decision to go ahead with surgery came after that. The reports so far haven’t described the specific injury inside the knee.

This article summarizes news reports and is not medical advice.

How long will Anthony Edwards be out?

The reports describe the timeline in slightly different ways:

If he’s out the full two months, the AP said, he would return around Minnesota’s Christmas Day game against Oklahoma City and miss about 25 games.

What “arthroscopic” means here

USA TODAY wrote that such procedures “tend to be preventative” and that Minnesota appears to be trying to get ahead of the problem before the playoffs. NBC Sports also called it a proactive move, suggesting the team wants Edwards healthy for the stretch run in a competitive Western Conference. Neither outlet said exactly what doctors will address.

A blistering start, now on hold

Edwards was playing at an MVP level before the injury news:

• 33.3 points per game through four games, plus 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists, shooting 40% from 3-point range (NBC Sports)
• 45 points in the season-opening win at Miami and 47 in Monday’s loss at Cleveland (AP)
• Second in the league in scoring entering Tuesday, behind only Luka Dončić’s 34.3 per game (USA TODAY)
• Minnesota started 3-1

The 65-game question

The surgery also affects his chances at end-of-season awards. NBA players need to appear in 65 games to qualify for honors such as MVP and All-NBA. The AP said that missing about 25 games would leave Edwards short of that mark. USA TODAY said it’s still too early to know for sure, but agreed that his margin would be very thin.

This isn’t a new concern. Edwards was limited to 61 games last season, mostly because of knee problems, according to the AP.

How the Timberwolves can cover for him

Minnesota made big moves this offseason, trading Julius Randle and Naz Reid and adding LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga, USA TODAY noted.

• LaMelo Ball has played more as a facilitator so far. NBC Sports says that will have to change, at least somewhat, now that he’ll need to score more.
• Ayo Dosunmu should move into the starting lineup, according to USA TODAY. It recalled his 43-point game against Denver in last season’s playoffs, when Minnesota was shorthanded.
• Jaden McDaniels will face more pressure to produce on offense, NBC Sports wrote.

Edwards joins a growing early-season injury list. NBC Sports noted that Jalen Williams, Paolo Banchero, Kawhi Leonard and Jaren Jackson Jr. are among the players who have already been sidelined in the season’s first week.

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