Finch in his presser after practice today said Ayo did "light work" and "no update on ANT who is week-to-week".
However, in some of the video clips of practice and the end-of-practice break down, ANT is on the court with a basketball. You can't see him moving, but he put up a shot. And in another clip he's sitting on a chair with a band under his left foot to do some rehab.
I didn't know if ANT was on crutches or what? So I found that encouraging!
Wolves vs. Spurs
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Coolbreeze44
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- Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2013 12:00 am
Re: Wolves vs. Spurs
I actually saw him shooting free throws, and then taking some shots inside the 3 point line. Did not see a noticeable limp but wasn't elevating to shoot.60WinTim wrote: ↑Sat May 02, 2026 4:30 pm Finch in his presser after practice today said Ayo did "light work" and "no update on ANT who is week-to-week".
However, in some of the video clips of practice and the end-of-practice break down, ANT is on the court with a basketball. You can't see him moving, but he put up a shot. And in another clip he's sitting on a chair with a band under his left foot to do some rehab.
I didn't know if ANT was on crutches or what? So I found that encouraging!
Re: Wolves vs. Spurs
I listened to a couple Spurs podcasts this afternoon...highly recommend if you want to hear their perspective. They don't sound like fans of a team which is -2000 in Vegas, but it may be that they are just not wanting to sound too confident.
They are definitely worried about our size and the big lineup we rolled out for a few possessions last game. They're also worried about Ju because they don't think they have anyone physical enough to handle him. And of course they all think Ant will be back at some point, but I don't know why they would know anything more than we know.
They talked a lot about who is going to guard Wemby. I didn't know this because I didn't see much of the Portland series, but they said Clingen was on Castle much of the time daring him to shoot threes. They thought that might be an approach the Wolves would take, although they also pointed out a stat I was not aware of: no player has guarded Wemby for more minutes one on one during his career than Rudy.
They are definitely worried about our size and the big lineup we rolled out for a few possessions last game. They're also worried about Ju because they don't think they have anyone physical enough to handle him. And of course they all think Ant will be back at some point, but I don't know why they would know anything more than we know.
They talked a lot about who is going to guard Wemby. I didn't know this because I didn't see much of the Portland series, but they said Clingen was on Castle much of the time daring him to shoot threes. They thought that might be an approach the Wolves would take, although they also pointed out a stat I was not aware of: no player has guarded Wemby for more minutes one on one during his career than Rudy.
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rapsuperstar31
- Posts: 1039
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Re: Wolves vs. Spurs
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/724889 ... lMYATb3ZG9
One of the most memorable and likely important interactions during All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles did not happen on the court during the games. It happened in the cavernous backstage area of Intuit Dome before the ball was even tipped.
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama called Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards before their teams faced each other. The All-Star Game had come under intense scrutiny for its lack of competitiveness, and Wembanyama wanted to change that.
“I’m matched up with you,” Wembanyama told Edwards, looking him dead in the eye.
Edwards nodded his head while looking right back at him. Then he went out and earned All-Star MVP honors.
“I ain’t gonna lie,” Edwards said after his Stars beat Wembanyama’s World team. “Wemby set the tone. He came out playing hard and we had to follow that.”
As the Spurs and Timberwolves prepare to face off in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, everyone is wondering if the two young faces of their franchises will see each other again. If Edwards has something to say about it, they will.
Edwards has been doing around-the-clock treatment on his injured left knee, and he has told teammates he plans on returning at some point in the series, team sources told The Athletic.
That backs what Wolves coach Chris Finch said before Game 5 of Minnesota’s series against the Denver Nuggets when he said that if the Wolves could extend their playoff run beyond the first round “we will be lucky enough to get him back.” Finch said Saturday after practice that Edwards’ “week-to-week” designation has not changed. The team has not issued an official timeline for his return, making it all but impossible for him to play in Game 1 on Monday.
Edwards was on the court after practice Saturday getting some shots up, but he did not participate in practice. He suffered a hyperextension and a bone bruise in his left knee in Game 4 against the Nuggets and did not play in the final 2 1/2 games of the series. Everyone is preparing to see him at some point this round, though.
“Anytime you can get someone that’s been hurt back, especially Ant, just the gravity that he carries, even him just being on the court will help us out a lot,” forward Jaden McDaniels said. “Whenever he’s ready, I told him we’re going to hold it down until he gets ready.”
Edwards has been dealing with knee issues for more than a month. The inflammation in his right knee caused him to miss 11 of the final 14 games of the regular season and was hampering him early in the series against Denver. He injured his left knee in Game 4 after trying to block a shot from Cam Johnson. Many feared the injury could have been much worse than it actually was.
“We dodged a bullet,” Finch said last week. “I think that’s the biggest thing there. It’s a huge sigh of relief. I know he’s frustrated because he had been dealing with the other knee and done all the things necessary to finally get himself off the injury report.”
There are two silver linings to Edwards’ left knee injury. First, the Wolves were able to win two of the final three games in the series without him to advance to their third straight second round. Second, this time off also allows Edwards to rest his right knee, which could help him with the discomfort he had been feeling.
Team sources have told The Athletic that Edwards has been communicating to teammates his plans to join them at some point in this series. The teams play every other day through the first five potential games of the series. There will be two days off between Games 5 and 6 if that is necessary. Game 2 is Wednesday in San Antonio. The series shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday.
Edwards has been doing everything he can in an effort to hasten his return to the court. He did sit on the bench for the clinching Game 6 win over the Nuggets, because he was getting treatment for his injury, league sources told The Athletic.
His return at any point in the series would be a huge boost to the Timberwolves, who are trying to make their third straight Western Conference finals. Minnesota went 2-1 against San Antonio in the regular season. Edwards’ 3-point shooting is a crucial element in the matchup, helping the Wolves spread the floor and put more pressure on Wembanyama and the Spurs’ defense.
The two superstars went at it in a thrilling Spurs victory in January. Edwards scored 55 points and hit nine 3s in the game. Wembanyama countered with 39 points and nine rebounds in the 126-123 win.
Edwards got the better of Wembanyama in November, when he scored 32 points and got the game-sealing bucket after bursting by Wemby
Also up in the air is the status of guard Ayo Dosunmu, who missed Game 6 against Denver with a sore right calf muscle. Finch said Dosunmu did some light work at practice Saturday and was still listed as day to day.
“So we’ll have to see on that one,” Finch said.
Dosunmu, who was acquired from Chicago before the trade deadline, averaged 21.8 points and 4.0 assists against Denver, including a 43-point explosion in Game 4 to help the Wolves overcome the losses of Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, who tore his right Achilles tendon.
One of the most memorable and likely important interactions during All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles did not happen on the court during the games. It happened in the cavernous backstage area of Intuit Dome before the ball was even tipped.
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama called Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards before their teams faced each other. The All-Star Game had come under intense scrutiny for its lack of competitiveness, and Wembanyama wanted to change that.
“I’m matched up with you,” Wembanyama told Edwards, looking him dead in the eye.
Edwards nodded his head while looking right back at him. Then he went out and earned All-Star MVP honors.
“I ain’t gonna lie,” Edwards said after his Stars beat Wembanyama’s World team. “Wemby set the tone. He came out playing hard and we had to follow that.”
As the Spurs and Timberwolves prepare to face off in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, everyone is wondering if the two young faces of their franchises will see each other again. If Edwards has something to say about it, they will.
Edwards has been doing around-the-clock treatment on his injured left knee, and he has told teammates he plans on returning at some point in the series, team sources told The Athletic.
That backs what Wolves coach Chris Finch said before Game 5 of Minnesota’s series against the Denver Nuggets when he said that if the Wolves could extend their playoff run beyond the first round “we will be lucky enough to get him back.” Finch said Saturday after practice that Edwards’ “week-to-week” designation has not changed. The team has not issued an official timeline for his return, making it all but impossible for him to play in Game 1 on Monday.
Edwards was on the court after practice Saturday getting some shots up, but he did not participate in practice. He suffered a hyperextension and a bone bruise in his left knee in Game 4 against the Nuggets and did not play in the final 2 1/2 games of the series. Everyone is preparing to see him at some point this round, though.
“Anytime you can get someone that’s been hurt back, especially Ant, just the gravity that he carries, even him just being on the court will help us out a lot,” forward Jaden McDaniels said. “Whenever he’s ready, I told him we’re going to hold it down until he gets ready.”
Edwards has been dealing with knee issues for more than a month. The inflammation in his right knee caused him to miss 11 of the final 14 games of the regular season and was hampering him early in the series against Denver. He injured his left knee in Game 4 after trying to block a shot from Cam Johnson. Many feared the injury could have been much worse than it actually was.
“We dodged a bullet,” Finch said last week. “I think that’s the biggest thing there. It’s a huge sigh of relief. I know he’s frustrated because he had been dealing with the other knee and done all the things necessary to finally get himself off the injury report.”
There are two silver linings to Edwards’ left knee injury. First, the Wolves were able to win two of the final three games in the series without him to advance to their third straight second round. Second, this time off also allows Edwards to rest his right knee, which could help him with the discomfort he had been feeling.
Team sources have told The Athletic that Edwards has been communicating to teammates his plans to join them at some point in this series. The teams play every other day through the first five potential games of the series. There will be two days off between Games 5 and 6 if that is necessary. Game 2 is Wednesday in San Antonio. The series shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday.
Edwards has been doing everything he can in an effort to hasten his return to the court. He did sit on the bench for the clinching Game 6 win over the Nuggets, because he was getting treatment for his injury, league sources told The Athletic.
His return at any point in the series would be a huge boost to the Timberwolves, who are trying to make their third straight Western Conference finals. Minnesota went 2-1 against San Antonio in the regular season. Edwards’ 3-point shooting is a crucial element in the matchup, helping the Wolves spread the floor and put more pressure on Wembanyama and the Spurs’ defense.
The two superstars went at it in a thrilling Spurs victory in January. Edwards scored 55 points and hit nine 3s in the game. Wembanyama countered with 39 points and nine rebounds in the 126-123 win.
Edwards got the better of Wembanyama in November, when he scored 32 points and got the game-sealing bucket after bursting by Wemby
Also up in the air is the status of guard Ayo Dosunmu, who missed Game 6 against Denver with a sore right calf muscle. Finch said Dosunmu did some light work at practice Saturday and was still listed as day to day.
“So we’ll have to see on that one,” Finch said.
Dosunmu, who was acquired from Chicago before the trade deadline, averaged 21.8 points and 4.0 assists against Denver, including a 43-point explosion in Game 4 to help the Wolves overcome the losses of Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo, who tore his right Achilles tendon.
Re: Wolves vs. Spurs
That's some interesting stuff thanks for posting!FNG wrote: ↑Sat May 02, 2026 5:37 pm I listened to a couple Spurs podcasts this afternoon...highly recommend if you want to hear their perspective. They don't sound like fans of a team which is -2000 in Vegas, but it may be that they are just not wanting to sound too confident.
They are definitely worried about our size and the big lineup we rolled out for a few possessions last game. They're also worried about Ju because they don't think they have anyone physical enough to handle him. And of course they all think Ant will be back at some point, but I don't know why they would know anything more than we know.
They talked a lot about who is going to guard Wemby. I didn't know this because I didn't see much of the Portland series, but they said Clingen was on Castle much of the time daring him to shoot threes. They thought that might be an approach the Wolves would take, although they also pointed out a stat I was not aware of: no player has guarded Wemby for more minutes one on one during his career than Rudy.
Re: Wolves vs. Spurs
FNG probably won't care for this, because it's more an ANT promotional clip. But it does touch on some of the rehab he is doing. And Chris Hines says he's probably 1 to 2 weeks from a return.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuas_58LUeY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuas_58LUeY
Re: Wolves vs. Spurs
Randle should be primary on Wemby.
We win this series by shooting 48% from 14 feet and 39% from 3 and holding them to percentages below that.
Our ability to cover PNR with Fox/Wemby AND Fox/Castle will set the tone
We win this series by shooting 48% from 14 feet and 39% from 3 and holding them to percentages below that.
Our ability to cover PNR with Fox/Wemby AND Fox/Castle will set the tone
1965-2025
"He Meant Well"
"He Meant Well"
Re: Wolves vs. Spurs
Ha, no I loved it, thanks for posting! I especially liked his cute little girl in the car and him leaping over Gordon not seeming to even know he's there! Chris Hines isn't mentioned enough for the role he's played in Ant's development. I love the work he's putting in to return, but 1-2 weeks isn't very positive...one week has him returning for game 3, and if it's more time than that I don't think it's worth the risk of further injury.60WinTim wrote: ↑Sun May 03, 2026 10:29 am FNG probably won't care for this, because it's more an ANT promotional clip. But it does touch on some of the rehab he is doing. And Chris Hines says he's probably 1 to 2 weeks from a return.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuas_58LUeY
I think you have me wrong, Tim...I think Ant might be the most charismatic guy in the league, and an amazing talent with an enormous upside that I hope he reaches someday. I just wish his 2-way analytic stats were deserving of the adoration we mostly have for him on this board and worthy of a top 10 reputation. I know almost this entire board would label the past three seasons "the Ant era". I think the Denver series is evidence it might be better described as the "Rudy/Finchy/TC" era...handling a team that closed the season with 11 straight wins with minimal contribution for our highest scorer (and missing 3 other rotation guys in the close out game!) is quite revealing.
I'm excited for Monday night, but missing at least our two most prolific 3-point shooters (plus maybe Ayo) against a team that is elite at protecting the rim makes this a very steep mountain to climb. I hate to say this, but I think the best we are likely to do is Spurs in 5. Like Q, I'm cheering for a miracle but mostly interested in how the supporting cast does as a prequel to next season.
But of course, I had the Nuggets in 5 also...
Re: Wolves vs. Spurs
Good analysis, Leado. The Spurs podcasters also talked about the Fox/Wemby 2 man game and especially the dribble handoff. But oddly enough, they generally do it opposite of how the Wolves do it with Rudy and Ant. Fox is the screener, with the intention of getting Wemby downhill...very tough to defend.
I don't disagree with the Randle suggestion, but I don't think Rudy can ignore Castle beyond the arc. Castle made 41% of his threes on 5.4 attempts per game with Clingen daring him to shoot.
Re: Wolves vs. Spurs
Another interesting but kinda scary stat from a Spurs podcast yesterday: they were talking about Wemby having as much "gravity" as any player in the league, and as proof, they said almost every teammate shoots at least 3 percentage points better when he is on the court. That's a great example of making your teammates better.