Minnesota Timberwolves reporter Jon Krawczynski shared footage of Anthony Edwards visiting the team’s practice facility. Although he wasn’t participating in basketball activities, the 25-year-old appeared upbeat, interacting with teammates and keeping the familiar competitive energy alive. However, his latest appearance at practice has raised fresh questions about the extent of the injury.
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His spirits were encouraging, but the equipment supporting his injured knee told a different story. Nearly two weeks after undergoing an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee, the All-Star guard was still relying on crutches and wearing a noticeable knee brace. That caught the attention of Dr. Brian Sutterer, who isn’t entirely convinced the procedure was as minor as initially suggested.
“So..Anthony Edwards is nearly two weeks out from a supposedly no big deal quick ‘clean up’ surgery and he still has that style of brace and looks like he’s putting minimal weight on the knee? Not typical for a simple scope 🤔.”
Sutterer, a sports doctor with nearly 1 million YouTube subscribers, explained why Anthony Edwards’ continued reliance on crutches stood out to him on X.
“Most surgeons permit weight bearing as tolerated right away for these simple trims/debridements as nothing has been repaired or stitched. Crutches are just for safe and proper gait but usually not needed for more than a few days to a week if even that long. I’ve got some questions for sure.
“My thought is this was a more significant/bigger surgery than was implied and that would align with why they were so quick to say he needed surgery after an acute change and couldn’t give it ANY rehab time.”
Sutterer’s comments raise questions, but so far no reports indicate that Anthony Edwards underwent a more extensive operation. The injury itself dates back further than the start of the current campaign. The Wolves star had been dealing with persistent discomfort in his right knee since last season. However, the situation took a turn after his 47-point performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 26.
A postgame MRI revealed changes in the joint compared to earlier scans. That development prompted Minnesota to reconsider its approach, and treatment was announced. When asked whether the problem could have been addressed during the offseason, Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly explained why the decision came later.
“No, the imaging has changed. The most recent imaging, we’ve had a bunch of imaging since the summer, and it changed as it was.” Connelly also acknowledged that Anthony Edwards had been willing to keep playing through the discomfort. He then addressed speculation about the specific procedure.
“It’s not a meniscus. I don’t want to speak out of school. My liberal arts degree will screw me up. It’s just an arthroscopic cleanup of his knee.”
That description is precisely what makes Anthony Edwards’ latest appearance interesting to Sutterer. The Timberwolves have maintained an optimistic outlook, with Ant-Man expected to miss up to two months while making a full recovery. That absence initially threatened to derail Minnesota’s campaign.
However, the Timberwolves have managed to stay competitive without their franchise player. Minnesota went 3-1 in the four games Anthony Edwards played, during which he averaged 33.3 points per contest while converting 40% of his attempts from beyond the arc. His production made the early-season setback particularly difficult to absorb.
Yet the team has responded better than expected, winning five of its seven games since his injury. Ayo Dosunmu has been particularly important during that stretch. With additional responsibility in the backcourt, he has averaged 34.3 minutes and produced 21.6 points per game. His outside shooting has also provided a significant boost, with the guard knocking down 17 of his 36 three-point attempts, a 47.2% success rate.
Those performances have helped Minnesota avoid becoming overly dependent on Anthony Edwards’ return.