The Minnesota Timberwolves are looking to finish the regular season strong as the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, with seven games left on their regular-season schedule. Next up for the Timberwolves is a road date vs. the Detroit Pistons on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET on Prime Video, and it remains to be seen if Timberwolves SG Anthony Edwards will be active.
Edwards has dealt with a knee issue for weeks, but he made his return on Monday, March 30. This was Edwards’ first game action since March 15, but his status puts him in question for Thursday.
Let’s take a closer look at the latest Anthony Edwards injury update and how it could affect your PrizePicks picks for Thursday’s Timberwolves vs. Pistons matchup.
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Anthony Edwards Injury Update vs. Pistons Tonight
On Wednesday night, the Timberwolves revealed that Edwards would be questionable due to his knee ailment ahead of Thursday’s contest with the Pistons.
Edwards also holds a questionable tag on Thursday’s NBA injury report, so it remains to be seen if he suits up.
Following a showdown vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 15, Edwards missed Minnesota’s next six games with what the team is describing as “right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome."
Edwards made his return from his six-game absence on March 30, though he was limited to 22 minutes off the bench in a 30-point blowout win over the Dallas Mavericks, finishing with 17 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists.
This season, Edwards has played in 59 games for the Timberwolves, and the team has gone 36-23 in those outings. If Edwards wants to qualify for end-of-season awards, he’ll need to be active in at least six of Minnesota’s final seven games.
Anthony Edwards Injury Impact: Which Timberwolves Players to Target?
Edwards and the Timberwolves could certainly be incentivized to have him play on Thursday due to the NBA having a minimum game threshold for players to earn end-of-season awards. However, he could still be on a minutes restriction or be limited in just his second game back from a six-game absence.
If Edwards is ruled out or still isn’t playing his normal minutes (35.3 MPG this season), Timberwolves PF Julius Randle and SG Ayo Dosunmu are viable candidates to see a boost in production.
Of the two, Randle undoubtedly has the bigger sample size with Edwards off the court, so he may be the likeliest player to get a bump up in usage.
Across 75 games this season, Randle is averaging 21.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 5.1 APG, while producing a solid 52.2% effective field goal percentage and an inefficient 31.2% 3-point percentage.
According to databallr, in 651 minutes without Edwards on the court, Randle sees a 5.4% usage increase, and he accrues 7.9 more points per 75 possessions.
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Julius Randle vs. Pistons Projections, Picks
Here are the top Julius Randle player projections vs. Pistons projections on Thursday, April 2, via PrizePicks.
- 19 Points
- 6 Rebounds
- 4 Assists
- 30.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- 34.5 Fantasy Score
- And More
Make Timberwolves vs. Pistons Picks on PrizePicks
Before Thursday’s tip-off between the Timberwolves and Pistons, Anthony Edwards is questionable to play due to a knee injury. Regardless of Edwards’ status, there are plenty of NBA projections to consider for both teams.
You can make Timberwolves vs. Pistons picks on PrizePicks and earn real money if you’re correct. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats. With PrizePicks Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
Stick around with the Playbook for continued NBA news, picks, and analysis every day.
