Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards was back in action against the New York Knicks on Nov. 5 after missing the last four games with a hamstring injury. 

Getting Edwards back into the rotation was a welcome sign for the Timberwolves, who went 2-2 in his absence. Unfortunately for Minnesota, they could not defeat New York in Edwards’ post-injury debut, losing 137–114 at the Garden.

Despite the loss, however, more importantly, Edwards spoke positively about his health following the game, which bodes well moving forward for the Timberwolves, whose team identity revolves around the 24-year-old All-Star.

“I felt great tonight,” Edwards said in a postgame interview on Nov. 5. “I was ready to ball out tonight." 

Sitting at .500, the Timberwolves have yet to hit their stride eight games into the NBA season. Obviously losing Edwards just three games into the campaign did not help Minnesota’s cause, but even with him back out on the court, the team has some polishing to do as they continue establishing themselves in a loaded Western Conference.

After being sidelined for almost 10 days, Edwards only scored 15 points against the Knicks, shooting just 5-for-13 from the field. In the game in which he was injured, against the Indiana Pacers, he only had five points, but in his other two outings, he scored 41 and 31 points against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Lakers, respectively. 

Thus, as Edwards gets back into his groove out on the floor, the Timberwolves should be able to count on his prolific scoring efforts once again. That should then set Minnesota back on track, as they prepare to face the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings twice apiece in the span of a week – playing each team once at home and then once away.

Julius Randle's Strong Start 

With Edwards only having played in half of the Timberwolves’ games so far, it has been up to other players to carry that offensive load with him out of commission. 

One player especially who has taken that on has been Julius Randle. 

It’s only been eight games, but across those contests, Randle is putting up the best numbers of his career, averaging 26.8 points per game on 56% shooting. As the season moves forward, those numbers will likely dip as Edwards begins to score at his regular clip, but for Minnesota to have a bona fide second option in Randle, is a positive sign for the team. 

Randle, who is also averaging 6.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists, being able to mesh well with Edwards will ultimately be what makes the Timberwolves a legitimate contender in the Western Conference come the playoffs. Therefore it will be interesting to see how they function on the court moving forward with Edwards back.

The Timberwolves play the 3-5 Jazz at home tonight at 8 p.m. EST.