Any win the Minnesota Timberwolves can get while Anthony Edwards is out is a good one. While it was far from pretty for most of the game, the Wolves were able to squeeze past the Milwaukee Bucks to grab their fifth win of the season.

While there have been rough stretches, Minnesota's underlying numbers are strong. The Timberwolves are fourth in the NBA in both point differential and net rating, and are now 5-1 in games that are not on the second night of a back-to-back, with the lone loss coming the day after the team learned Edwards would miss significant time.

Against a team like the Bucks, it is as much about getting the win, as most teams end up doing, but how the team looks in the process. The Timberwolves are still trying to figure everything out with their superstar injured, and that has led to some notable good and bad outcomes.

Positive: LaMelo Ball gets back on track

Coming into the game, the play of LaMelo Ball has possibly been the Timberwolves' biggest red flag without Edwards. Ball's shooting numbers were pedestrian, his turnover rate was through the roof, and he led the league with 30 fouls, including six against the San Antonio Spurs on Halloween.

For the Wolves to survive these next couple of months, they need Ball to look like an All-Star caliber. He lived up to that expectation Monday night versus the Bucks. Ball put up an efficient 34 points on just 21 shots, including six makes from beyond the arc.

Along with the scoring, Ball created advantages all over the court for his teammates. While he ended up with only three assists, Ball was the main driver of the Wolves' offense, with the Bucks' defense shifting to slow down his scoring.

Ball was also a catalyst for an increase in pace for the Wolves' offense. Whether it was following a missed shot or a turnover, Ball and the Wolves did well pushing the pace when appropriate, which is a positive sign, as the Timberwolves' half-court offense has been less than lethal of late.

The other player who pushed the pace for Minnesota was Ayo Dosunmu, who did a little bit of everything for the Wolves with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists to go along with a steal and a block.

"I like to play fast, and he’s faster than no other," Ball said, praising the speed of Dosunmu. "He’s like a track star out there. Whenever I see him in an open lane, I try to get him going."

The beginning of Ball's time in Minnesota has already seen incredible highs and frustrating lows. Now, without Edwards, the Wolves will need to smooth out those extremes and find a happy medium. The hope is that this performance is far more indicative of who Ball will be moving forward than his previous few outings.

The real assessment will come when the Wolves face an opponent with physical defenders to get Ball out of rhythm. That test for Ball comes next on the Timberwolves' schedule on Wednesday night in Texas against the Houston Rockets.

Negative: Not generating enough shots for Jaden McDaniels

Jaden McDaniels has had a fantastic start to the regular season. He has shown the potential to level up his game, something that was hinted at in the preseason, and has largely done so through the Wolves' first eight games.

McDaniels had an off shooting game against the Bucks, finishing 5-for-14 from the field. Less concerning than the shooting percentage is the number of attempts.14 shots isn't an awful number for McDaniels, but the Wolves' forward can take on a higher share of the scoring load while still staying efficient.

Without Edwards on the court, the Wolves' offense should be able to rely on McDaniels even more than it already does. McDaniels has increased his scoring production every season of his career, and this year will be no different.

McDaniels has the ability and the opportunity to join the All-Star conversation this year. What stands in the way of that is consistency, both from McDaniels and the Timberwolves' offense as a whole.

Maximizing McDaniels is a two-way street. McDaniels needs to be more aggressive about finding more shots for himself within the flow of the offense, and his teammates and coaches will need to provide more advantageous positions for McDaniels to take advantage of the defense.

If that happens, the sky is truly the limit. Edwards' famous "they got KD, but we got Jaden McDaniels" prophecy is already legendary stuff, but it has the opportunity to continue to grow in accuracy if the Timberwolves and McDaniels can further emphasize his offensive strengths.