The Minnesota Timberwolves haven’t missed a beat in the win column without Anthony Edwards, and a big reason why is that several rotation players have taken on more responsibility and run with it.
Minnesota is 3-1 with Edwards and 6-2 without him, a split that doesn’t change the obvious truth: they want him back as soon as he’s ready. But it does underline how well others have filled the gap. Here are four who have stood out the most, listed alphabetically by last name.
Ayo Dosunmu has been the cleanest fit in the starting group. He’s started the last eight games in Edwards’ place and hasn’t tried to force himself into a role that doesn’t suit him.
Instead, he’s delivered steady production across the board. Dosunmu has scored at least 15 points in all eight starts, topped 21 points four times, and in only one of the nine games has he shot below 50% from the field.
He’s also hit 47.5 percent of his 3-point tries. Minnesota has gotten exactly what it needed from its “stud sixth man,” and then some.
LaMelo Ball took a little time to settle in, but he’s clearly grown more assertive as the games have gone on. Early on, he still looked like he was figuring out how to mesh with the offense.
That’s changed. The 25-year-old has been calling his own number more often and doing it efficiently.
Without Edwards, Ball has three games with six made 3-pointers and two more with four. He’s scored at least 20 points in each of the last five games, and that stretch lines up with the Timberwolves’ five-game winning streak.
He’s also making an impact defensively, which matters because he’s not generally known for that side of the floor. Still, he’s put in the work and has become part of Minnesota’s top-ranked defense.
Bones Hyland has turned into one of the biggest surprises of the stretch. At the start of the season, he barely seemed like part of the rotation, logging only garbage time in the regular-season opener.
Now he’s been a major spark for the bench, even with Dosunmu moved into the starting five. Before Edwards went down, Hyland had scored just nine total points.
In the nine games since, he’s averaged 13.6 points in 15.8 minutes. He’s also had two games with eight assists, showing he can do more than just score.
Hyland has been dangerous both from deep and going downhill to the rim, and while defense will never be his calling card, he’s added eight steals since Edwards was sidelined.
Trey Lyles rounds out the group, and while his numbers won’t jump off the page, his value has shown up in the margins. He’s been a reliable floor spacer, forcing defenses to stay honest with his outside shot.
And when Minnesota has needed him to hold his own without Rudy Gobert or Joan Beringer on the floor, he’s done that too. The last two games say plenty: Lyles has been plus-55 in 36 minutes.
That’s the kind of quiet impact teams notice fast.
In Other News...
Timberwolves Face A Pregame Injury Question Against The Bulls
The Timberwolves are back at Target Center on November 14 with a pregame injury question hanging over a matchup that already carries some early-season weight. Chicago arrives with three players on its injury report, while Minnesota has two names to monitor, leaving both sides to sort through availability before tipoff and adjust around the players who have helped drive each teams early statistical profile.
For Minnesota, the bigger concern is simply getting through the night with a clean rotation against a Bulls team that has shown enough across the board to make this a real test. The injury list gives the game an extra layer of uncertainty, and with both clubs carrying notable absences into the matchup, the final word on who is available could shape how the Timberwolves approach the opening stretch at home. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Are Building Something Dangerous Without Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards is still working back from knee surgery, but the Timberwolves have hardly looked like a team waiting around for help. During this recent run, Minnesota has stacked up wins behind a defense that has kept opponents uncomfortable and a group of fill-in contributors who have made the offense look far less dependent on one star than it did earlier in the season.
LaMelo Ball and Ayo Dosunmu have given the Wolves a steady lift, Bones Hyland has supplied scoring punch off the bench, and Jonathan Kuminga has added another layer on both ends. The result has been a stretch that says a lot about Minnesotas depth and resilience, even if the bigger question remains how this version of the team will look once Edwards is ready to return. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Edwards Is Still Driving The Wolves While Sidelined
Anthony Edwards may be stuck on the sideline for now, but he has not disappeared from the Timberwolves day-to-day rhythm. Since undergoing right knee arthroscopic surgery, he has stayed close to the team by attending practices and games, keeping his presence felt around the locker room and helping maintain the edge that has defined Minnesotas start without him.
The Wolves have handled his absence well enough on the court, going 6-2 and sitting near the top of the league in both defensive and net ratings. Even so, the bigger takeaway for Minnesota is how much Edwards still seems to matter beyond his own box score, with his communication and involvement giving the group a steadying voice while it waits for its star to return. [Read more 🡒]