The Clippers are a different franchise from the one Wolves fans are used to seeing. Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ivica Zubac are all gone, and the injury list has taken whatever depth was left. Brandon Ingram (Achilles) and Max Strus (foot) were both reported on October 29 as at least another week away. Bradley Beal (knee) wasn't ready for opening night, Jordan Miller is out after rotator cuff surgery, and Yanic Konan Niederhauser (foot) isn't even making this road trip. Rui Hachimura (quad) was ruled out against the Lakers, and nobody has said yet whether he plays in Minneapolis.
So far LA is 1-2. They beat Sacramento 121-96 at home, lost 125-117 to the Lakers, and lost 108-101 at Oklahoma City. Neither loss was a blowout, and holding a good Thunder team to 108 on the road is a real result for a roster this thin. The Clippers also host the Lakers on October 28 before flying to Minnesota, so that game decides whether they show up on a losing streak or with some life, and how many minutes the remaining healthy guys have on their legs.
The question for Minnesota is pretty simple: who scores in the fourth quarter? Edwards was carrying a huge share of the shot volume, and Ball and Kuminga now have to do more than finish what Edwards set up. A Clippers team without its best wings is a forgiving place to try that out. The Wolves can't let it turn into another first-half hole they spend 24 minutes climbing out of.
After this one the Clippers go on to Golden State, while Minnesota has had a couple of days at home to rework the rotation. It isn't a marquee game. It's two teams that looked very different 2 weeks ago, and the one with more healthy, proven bodies is playing at home. Whether Hachimura makes the trip matters more than it would on most nights.