Minnesota hosts the Clippers tonight at 3-2, two losses removed from a 3-0 start and without Anthony Edwards, whose knee scope ESPN reported was successful. The questions around the team have narrowed to who carries the load until his estimated December 21 return.
Gobert Under the Lens
Most of the sharpest coverage has landed on Rudy Gobert. Dunking with Wolves ran three pieces on him in one day. Kenny Kluska asked whether his struggles point to decline, Jack Simone wrote that Edwards' absence makes the Gobert problem worse, and Eamon Cassels argued that teammates have reason to be upset with him. The numbers split the case. Gobert is scoring 6.6 points a game, but he is also pulling down 12.2 rebounds in 30 minutes, and Minnesota's defensive rating sits at 102.5. At 34 and paid $36.5 million, he will keep drawing questions about his scoring. The rebounding and the defense do not describe a center in decline, and nothing reported explains why teammates would be upset.
Ball's Missing Rim Pressure
LaMelo Ball is the other pressure point. In separate pieces for Dunking with Wolves, Ethan Kinney wrote that Ball must be better for Minnesota to survive without Edwards, and Cassels pointed to his lack of rim pressure. Ball is at 13.4 points with 6.6 assists in 25.5 minutes, shooting 35.0 percent from three. The playmaking holds up. The minutes are modest for a $40.8 million guard who is now expected to carry more. On the surgery itself, Canis Hoopus argued that it does not mean the sky is falling, and Timberwolves.com posted the team's own injury update.
Living at the Line
After the 119-114 loss to Golden State, Jon Krawczynski wrote for The Athletic that Terrence Shannon Jr. getting to the rim and drawing fouls was the only offense Minnesota had. He added that the Wolves missed a chance to close the gap while Stephen Curry was off the floor. Cassels made the same foul-drawing case and wrote that Bones Hyland can help cover Edwards' minutes. Shannon's numbers back it up: 14.2 points and 44.0 percent from three in 23.2 minutes. Hyland is not yet among the team's leading producers, so that part of the argument is still untested. The Athletic also profiled Golden State's future after Jonathan Kuminga, who has given Minnesota 13.2 points on 47.6 percent from three. The Clippers arrive 1-3 on a three-game skid, without Brandon Ingram or Bradley Beal and with Rui Hachimura day-to-day. That makes tonight a fair first test of whether Minnesota's supporting cast holds.
When will Anthony Edwards return for the Timberwolves?
His estimated return date is December 21, after a knee scope that ESPN reported was successful.
Is Rudy Gobert declining?
His scoring is down to 6.6 points a game, but he is averaging 12.2 rebounds and Minnesota's defensive rating is 102.5. That does not point to a decline.
