“Is That Knee Going to Hold Up?”: Carmelo Anthony Raises Bigger Concern About Anthony Edwards After Heartbreaking Injury

Just when they’ve had LaMelo Ball on board, were 3-1 into the season and looked like a soaring team, the Minnesota Timberwolves are thrown under the bus as Anthony Edwards is set to miss two months. But while most would worry about the team’s immediate future, former NBA star Carmelo Anthony had a far bigger concern.

“I think this hurts the plan,” the Hall of Famer said during a recent appearance on NBA Showtime. “They were the most exciting kind of team to watch in the NBA in the first couple of games. My question is not, ‘can they survive?’ My question is, is Anthony going to be good when he comes back? When Ant comes back, is that knee going to hold up to get back to where they need to be and get ready for the postseason?”

Though Edwards had the grit to enter the season with a pain in his right knee and still dropped two 40+ point performances while averaging 33.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, the Wolves didn’t risk it further.

The 25-year-old guard will now go through an arthroscopic procedure. Surely the team has their primary ball-handler and an elite playmaker in Ball. But the real question is how well the chemistry and production will be on Ant Man’s end once he returns.

With Ball on the team, he could go back to his initial shooting guard position. Based on the 4 regular-season games these two have put on together, the chemistry shouldn’t be a matter of question. But that’s a player with a history of knee issues. In the 2025-26 season, Ant was limited to just 61 games due to chronic inflammation in his right knee and a hyperextended left knee with a bone bruise (in the first round of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets).

So, the situation looks scarier than it could’ve been for just any other injury. However, NBA icon Tracy McGrady has raised a different angle on this. In Ant’s absence, players like Ayo Dosunmu, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga, etc., will have to assume bigger roles. And this could be the best opportunity for the team to build chemistry with LaMelo.

“With Ant being out right now, this is a golden opportunity,” he said in the same broadcast. “The other guys can get acclimated to playing with Melo … You know your position on the court when Ant is on the court. (But) learning how to play with (Melo), and when Ant comes back, you can put all that together. And play with that type of confidence that you're going to gain for these next two months.”

So, the Wolves will have their chance to turn the lingering concern into something better. The upcoming two months will be a test, but for now, the Golden State Warriors will be their next trial to overcome in a few hours.