Life Without Ant: Minnesota’s Gut Check Week
It’s been over a week since Timberwolves fans have been able to watch Anthony Edwards play a full game of basketball, and yes, that sentence already feels like a small tragedy. Edwards barely made it through three and a half minutes against Indiana before that hamstring said, “nah, we’re good.” At first, it looked like one of those classic “precautionary” moves: sit him for the back-to-back, be ready for Denver the next night, all good. But instead of a night off, we got a weeklong cliffhanger. Ant’s still out, and nobody’s sure exactly when he’ll return.
So now the Wolves are in survival mode. No Ant, no fireworks, no nightly poster dunks, just the Wolves trying to figure out which guard can keep this thing afloat until their superstar returns. And according to a quick pulse check of the Wolves community, the fans have spoken: they’re riding with Donte DiVincenzo.
He pulled in just over a third of the vote, which, honestly, makes sense. Donte’s the one guy in that backcourt rotation who can actually light it up when he gets hot. You can picture it now: a random Tuesday in Memphis, Donte hits five threes in 14 minutes, and everyone forgets Ant’s missing for half a quarter. He’s that guy. He’s a heat-check incarnate. If Minnesota’s going to stay competitive, they’ll need Donte to lean into that Villanova DNA and go full “Role Player Who Thinks He’s The Star” for a week or two.
Coming in second, with 23% of the vote, is Terrence Shannon Jr., who, to put it bluntly, has been a mixed bag. Shannon’s the one player who actually resembles Edwards stylistically: the driving, the finishing, the confidence, the “give me the ball and clear out” energy. He just hasn’t found consistency yet. Summer League TSJ looked like he was auditioning for a “Young Ant” biopic. Regular-season TSJ has been more “guy who forgot his lines.” Too many sloppy turnovers, too many missed finishes around the rim. The Wolves don’t need him to be Edwards. They just need him to be himself again. A confident, downhill, pressure-creating wing who makes defenses move. If he can get back to that, it’ll go a long way in bridging the gap.
Then there’s the tie for third: Jaylen Clark and Mike Conley Jr., both sitting at 14%. It’s almost poetic. One’s a rookie pitbull, the other’s an old head keeping everyone calm. Clark’s defense is already NBA-level nasty, but he’s still learning, and that calf soreness hasn’t exactly helped. If he can go, he’s the Wolves’ best shot at recreating Edwards’ defensive impact on the wing.
As for Mike Conley, the man’s doing everything short of pulling a hamstring himself trying to keep this offense organized. He’s 37 years old, has been around since Obama’s first term, and he’s still being asked to play 35 minutes because nobody else can dribble. Conley’s leadership is invaluable, but he’s not here to fill the scoring void. At this point, you just hope he doesn’t turn into a walking DNP-rest cautionary tale before Ant’s back.
Rounding out the list is Bones Hyland at 12%. He’s basically the “in case of emergency, break glass” option. Bones can get hot in bursts, sure, but until he figures out how to be consistently useful for more than one stretch per week, it’s hard to count on him as a legitimate replacement. Still, he’s the kind of wildcard who might win you a random game.
The larger point here: this isn’t just a “who replaces the points” problem. Edwards isn’t just a scorer. He’s the identity of this team. When he’s out, everything feels muted. The swagger fades. The intensity dips. Suddenly the Wolves are playing like a team that hopes to win, not one that expects to.
That’s why this stretch matters. Thankfully, the schedule’s done them a few favors. They’ve got some lower-tier teams on deck — the kind of opponents that let you survive without your star if you play like professionals.
And that’s the thing. It’s not about replacing Edwards’ numbers. It’s about replacing his heartbeat.
Someone has to bring the energy, the confidence, the “we’re not losing tonight” edge. Daonte’s shooting helps. Shannon’s athleticism helps. Conley’s steadiness helps. But none of it means anything if the collective vibe stays flat.
The Wolves can’t afford to sleepwalk through November. Because if they do, we’re going to be staring down the barrel of another “disappointing start” column, and nobody in Minnesota wants that sequel.
Here’s hoping Ant’s reevaluation goes well, because while it’s nice to test your depth, Wolves fans have already seen that movie before. And it usually ends the same way: too much talent, not enough urgency.
Time to flip that script.