Don't expect much from Minnesota tonight.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are not taking any chances heading into the postseason.
With nothing left to play for in the regular season finale against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night, Minnesota released a lengthy injury report that features nine players listed as out, a move that makes it pretty clear the team's focus has shifted entirely to the playoffs.
A Long List of Names Sitting Out
Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Bones Hyland, Ayo Dosunmu and Kyle Anderson are all sitting this one out.
Some of those absences are tied to actual injuries that the team has been managing down the stretch.
Edwards has been dealing with right knee trouble that has kept him out of 10 of Minnesota's last 13 games, and his 28.8 points per game this season have obviously been missed during that stretch.
McDaniels has been sidelined for multiple games with a right calf strain, and both Conley (rest) and Gobert (personal reasons) are being given the night off as well.
Others like Randle, Reid, Hyland, Dosunmu and Anderson fall more into the category of rest and load management.
The Timberwolves are locked into the sixth seed at 48-33 and have the first round of the playoffs starting on April 18.
Health Is the Real Story Here
The bigger picture is actually encouraging for Minnesota.
The Timberwolves clinched their playoff spot last week with a win over the Indiana Pacers, and the fact that they can afford to sit this many players tells you how comfortable they feel about where they stand.
Edwards showed signs of life in Friday's 136-132 win over the Houston Rockets, dropping 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting in a game that Donte DiVincenzo praised his aggressiveness and his ability to let the game come to him before taking over in the fourth quarter.
What It Means for the Playoffs
Minnesota is projected to face the Denver Nuggets in the first round, and getting Edwards, Randle, Gobert and McDaniels all healthy and fresh for that series is worth more than anything a meaningless game against New Orleans could offer.
This team went 7-4 without Edwards during the regular season, so they have already shown they can survive without their best player on any given night.
But surviving and thriving are two different things, especially when the stakes go up.
If the Timberwolves can get everyone back at full strength and build on the chemistry that Edwards, DiVincenzo and Dosunmu have been developing over these final weeks, they have the pieces to be a tough out in the West.
Sunday's game against the Pelicans is just a formality at this point, and Minnesota is treating it that way.