Anthony Edwards’ Absence Exposed a Bigger Timberwolves Problem in Warriors Loss

The Minnesota Timberwolves were always going to miss the things Anthony Edwards brought on the court.

They missed his shotmaking on Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors. They missed his defense. His gravity.

But more than anything, they dearly missed the passion that he had been bringing to the floor as the undisputed leader of the team this season. The getting in the opponent’s face, competitive fire, and “we’re not going to lose this game because I said so” mindset.

From the time the ball was tipped, it was an effort that lacked effort. LaMelo Ball, the presumed bus driver during this Edwards-less stretch, started 0-of-5 from three while not moving the ball early in the shot clock. Paired with six turnovers from the point guard and lacking numbers from the rest of the team, we see the evidence of a low-energy ball game.

“They were just trying to force themselves into places where there was nothing there,” head coach Chris Finch said after the game. “The scoring void is one of the easier ones to fill, as long as you’re doing the right thing and sticking within the flow.”

While Ball is used to slinging it over to Edwards at this point when he needs a pressure release, Ayo Dosunmu lacked the ability to be that in the backcourt. He posted a -9, with many of his 17 points spent digging out of a 20-point hole that the Warriors were able to create. Without helping each other out, the Wolves’ starting backcourt was a large reason for struggling with the Warriors’ physicality early.

The out-of-sync and pressing nature of the Wolves echoed throughout the starting lineup. One of the floor raisers of the team and a major pillar that the Wolves rely on to dig them out of these situations failed to record a field goal for the second straight game.

Rudy Gobert’s inability to affect the game on offense has officially become a problem. When Anthony Edwards is healthy, he’s able to throw the cape on and bail the Wolves out of situations of Gobert’s ineffectiveness with his shooting ability.

With blitzes being thrown at Ball and the Warriors getting into rotation, Gobert was unable to make a team that did not have a center active for the game. He posted a -23.4 net rating, worst among the starters, with a 117 defensive rating—an extreme outlier for the big man.

Jonathan Kuminga and LaMelo Ball frustrated with Rudy Gobert 😬 pic.twitter.com/FR7hzhwtCT

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 29, 2026

“We gotta find him a little more cleanly,” Finch said. “He’s gotta catch and finish better … he had 16 chances in and around the paint in the Cleveland game, and he’s gotta get back to playing with a little more force.”

Outshined by fellow Frenchman Joan Beringer, Gobert, along with all of the Wolves, must find their igniter without Edwards on the floor.

All signs of effort were dead in the water until the third quarter, when Jaylen Clark, Bones Hyland, and Beringer were able to find some magic with Terrence Shannon Jr. and lead a charge that would eventually bring the Wolves back from being down 24 to two possessions.

Moving forward, Finch should not have to pull the Jaylen Clark lever whenever this team needs to pick up its effort and find momentum—it must come from one of the top three, whether Ball, Gobert, or Jaden McDaniels.

The clock is ticking on the goodwill and giddiness built up among the first few games of the season. Now, the Wolves must dig deep upon the first wave of incoming adversity.

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