The Wolves have announced that starting point guard Ricky Rubio will be out indefinitely after injuring his ankle during last night’s loss to the Magic in Orlando, and USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt reports that Rubio is likely to miss seven to eight weeks of action. This was after an MRI taken in Miami revealed what was termed a “significant left ankle sprain.” According to Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune, Minnesota will know a more definitive timetable in a couple of weeks once the swelling goes down. The MRI revealed no breaks or tears, which is good news for both the player and his team.
Rubio’s injury is among a rash of early season maladies that have sidelined a number of NBA stars, including Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal, and Marcus Smart, who also injured his ankle last night, but is only expected to miss a couple of weeks.
The 24-year-old Rubio recently inked a four-year, $55MM contract extension with the Wolves, which includes $1MM in incentives. So far this season Rubio has averaged 9.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 10.0 APG. With Minnesota’s roster sitting at the maximum 15 players, it’s likely that Mo Williams will take over starting duties. It is also possible that the team will wait to re-evaluate Rubio in two weeks time prior to making a decision on another roster move, though that is just my speculation.