Finch isn't too worried about Edwards after his knee injury.
Anthony Edwards made his way back to the court on Monday night after missing six games with right knee inflammation.
Even though he was a minute late to the opening tip because of a bathroom break, it didn't take long for him to remind everyone why the Minnesota Timberwolves need him so badly down the stretch.
Edwards came off the bench after Mike Conley took the opening tip in his place, played 23 minutes, scored 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting and helped Minnesota blow out the Dallas Mavericks 124-94.
Finch Liked What He Saw
After the game, head coach Chris Finch talked about what he was watching for from his star guard in his first action back.
"Mostly just his wind, like his game fitness," Finch said. "Obviously his shot, it looks a little off, but you know, he had the one in transition which looked pure. And once that went in, I thought, okay, he's good."
That transition three was a turning point in how Finch viewed Edwards' night, and it makes sense why. Edwards is averaging 29.3 points per game this season on 49.2 percent shooting, so when his jumper looks right, everything else tends to follow.
He also hit another three, threw down a pair of dunks and played strong defense throughout the night while the Wolves won his minutes by 29 points.
Finch praised Edwards' overall approach too, saying he let the game come to him and made quicker decisions, which made things look easy for him as a result.
Minnesota's Standings Situation
The Wolves didn't just need Edwards back because they missed his scoring.
They needed him back because the Western Conference playoff race is tight and every game matters right now.
Minnesota sits at 46-29 on the season and is currently the fifth seed in the West, just two games behind the Denver Nuggets for the fourth spot and tied in record with the Houston Rockets.
A fourth-place finish would give the Timberwolves home-court advantage in the first round, and a slip to the sixth seed could mean a tougher road through the bracket.
Julius Randle carried a big load while Edwards was out and led the way against Dallas with 24 points, but Finch knows that this team's ceiling depends on having its best player available and healthy.
Edwards still needs to play in all seven remaining games to hit the 65-game mark for All-NBA eligibility, and Finch hasn't ruled out playing him on back-to-back nights if his body responds well.
What Comes Next
The Timberwolves proved they could survive without Edwards during his absence, going 3-3 in six games without him, but surviving and thriving are two different things.
With the Mavericks sitting at just 24-52 and offering little resistance, Monday night was the perfect re-entry point.
The real tests start Thursday in Detroit against the 55-21 Pistons, and Finch will be watching Edwards' conditioning closely as Minnesota pushes for a higher seed in a loaded Western Conference.
Getting Edwards back is one thing. Getting him back to full strength before the playoffs is what really counts.