Karl-Anthony Towns Sidelined Indefinitely

The wrist injury that sidelined Karl-Anthony Towns shortly before the All-Star break will keep him out of action a while longer, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Towns was held out of today’s practice and won’t be in the lineup when the Timberwolves resume their season Friday night.

“He’s still being evaluated with things,” said coach Ryan Saunders, who didn’t offer a timetable for Towns’ return or discuss the severity of the injury. “He went through the All-Star break. We’ll get back in touch with him right here.”

Saunders confirmed that Towns’ absence will cover multiple games.

Towns had a brace on his left wrist as he took shots before today’s practice, Hine added, and he wasn’t using it as he caught passes from an assistant coach. He underwent an MRI on February 11 that confirmed the injury and sat out last Wednesday’s game.

Hine notes that the Wolves are often secretive about injuries, even when they keep players out of action for extended stretches. Examples include the 15 games that Towns missed earlier this season with a left knee injury followed by an illness, and the sprained toe that has sidelined Jake Layman since November.

An extended absence for Towns would provide a setback for the Wolves as they try to integrate seven new players after a flurry of moves at the trade deadline. The organization is especially concerned with building chemistry between Towns and point guard D’Angelo Russell, who was acquired in a trade with the Warriors.

“Being the youngest team in the league,” Saunders said, “we’re going to have to make sure that we grow and we don’t say, ‘Hey we’ll be better when we mature. We’ll be better in the summertime when you can focus on just development.’ We need to use all the time right now.”

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