Anthony Edwards injured, Timberwolves’ season will get worse

The Minnesota Timberwolves’ season from hell continued Friday night time as they misplaced to the Chicago Bulls in double extra time and should have misplaced Anthony Edwards for the rest of the common season to an ankle harm. There hasn’t been an official replace from the workforce. Edwards returned to the bench in a strolling boot towards the top of the sport and briefly advised reporters he was going to be nice.

I can admire Ant’s perspective and toughness. He’s performed in 71 of 71 video games whereas different stars can barely be bothered to play seven straight. There are solely three weeks left on the NBA common season calendar, and the T-Wolves are a sport out of the playoffs and a sport away from lacking the play-in.

However haven’t any concern, Minnesota, backup needs to be arriving any time. (Hey, Karl, that’s your cue.) Karl-Anthony Cities is near coming back from a calf harm that has lingered for months. The replace from two days in the past was that KAT might be again within the “coming weeks.” No matter meaning higher imply he’ll be again on the ground quickly.

The Good

All issues thought-about, it’s nonetheless not that unhealthy as a result of the underside of the West is abysmal. Minnesota has to stave off the Jazz, Pelicans, and Blazers for the 12 seed. Two of these organizations are in a free fall, and Danny Ainge is doing the whole lot in his energy to maintain the third workforce within the lottery.

Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert are greater than able to enjoying .500 basketball for a brief span, and hopefully, it’s lengthy sufficient to bridge the hole till Cities returns. Oh and when that occurs, no matter points Gobert and Cities had sharing the ground collectively higher magically disappear.

The Dangerous

Minnesota with out Edwards is the 2021 Utah Jazz however older and with out Donovan Mitchell, and that’s about as miserable of a basketball state of affairs as you’ll discover. The entrance workplace gave away 1,000,000 draft picks for Gobert, and the one argument it was a wise transfer is that he’s the final cornerstone standing.

D’Angelo Russell is a Laker, KAT’s pure state is nursing an harm, and the brightest spot of all of the spots crumbled to the court docket Friday night time and screamed “TIMEOUT!” like he was making an attempt to cease a struggle after getting belted by his older brother too onerous.

The entrance workplace has already tried to retcon the narrative as soon as, and it didn’t take, so if this season ends abruptly, the subsequent steps might be extra drastic.

The Ugly

The one means the Wolves keep away from an offseason of pundits questioning who’s sad and followers making pretend KAT trades is that if they get into the playoffs and win a spherical. It’s attainable, however it’ll take Edwards returning for the playoffs, and Cities going ballistic as quickly as attainable for so long as attainable.

Any time we surprise which franchise is the gold normal for mismanagement, Minnesota gives up a season like this, or the yr after the final time they made the playoffs when Jimmy Butler hacked his means out of Minneapolis with a machete. Then that prompts folks to ask, “Weren’t you the workforce that took two level guards not named Steph Curry forward of Steph Curry?” And issues proceed to spiral from there.

So, better of luck, T-Wolves followers. And simply know, it’s not your fault.

We actually really feel unhealthy for Minnesota sports activities followers, however not sufficient to jot down good issues about Kirk Cousins. Learn extra Timberwolves and Vikings information on Deadspin’s workforce pages.