Timberwolves face Warriors without Edwards as Lendeborg's foot leaves him questionable

The Minnesota Timberwolves will play their first game since Anthony Edwards' knee surgery news on Wednesday night, and Golden State might be shorthanded too. Rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg is listed as questionable for the game at Target Center with inflammation and soreness in his left foot, according to Golden State Of Mind, SB Nation's Warriors site.

Lendeborg has started his career strong. He is averaging 21.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, and he hurt the foot during Monday's win over Denver. Golden State Warriors On SI reported that he tripped over Nuggets forward Bryce Hopkins' foot, and that he said the team's medical staff told him "it should be nothing crazy." The Warriors are not on a back-to-back, which helps his chances. The same outlet pointed out that Golden State is already thin at forward. Jimmy Butler III (right ACL repair) and Moses Moody (left patellar tendon repair) are both out, and Kristaps Porziņģis is out because he is not with the team.

Minnesota's list is shorter, but it includes the biggest name in the game. Edwards is out while he waits for arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. The Minnesota Star Tribune, confirming a first report from ESPN, said he could miss up to two months, and team sources hope to have him back sometime in December. The paper reported that the knee flared up again in the season opener at Miami. Edwards also dealt with patellofemoral pain last season and missed 11 of Minnesota's last 14 regular-season games. According to the Star Tribune, the organization is confident it has enough depth to keep winning while he recovers. Donte DiVincenzo is also still out as he recovers from surgery on the right Achilles he tore during last spring's playoffs.

Without Edwards, more of the scoring falls to LaMelo Ball and Jonathan Kuminga. Golden State Of Mind expects Kuminga to become the secondary scorer behind Ball. Kuminga facing his former team adds a storyline to an early-season game, and Lendeborg's status will decide whether the Warriors' best young player is on the other side.

What it means for Wednesday

The Timberwolves come in at 3-1, but the season so far divides into two parts. They won their first three games by a combined 70 points: 131-106 at Miami, 115-93 at Orlando and 117-94 against Toronto. Then they lost 127-125 at Cleveland, the last time they took the floor before the Edwards news became public. The wins came by an average of more than 23 points, which suggests the depth the front office is counting on is real. Still, none of those games tested this rotation without its best player for a full night.

Wednesday is the first time this group plays knowing Edwards will not be back soon. If Lendeborg sits, Golden State's frontcourt will be badly short of bodies, and Minnesota will have a chance to win the rebounding battle and get Kuminga matchups he can exploit. If Lendeborg plays, the Wolves face a rookie who has filled up the box score every night. That puts more pressure on Ball to carry the creation load, after a close loss in Cleveland that showed how thin the margin can be. The game is on NBA League Pass for national viewers.