A right calf strain that Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns suffered Monday night will force him to miss approximately four-to-six weeks, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. He’s expected to make a full recovery and return to the court sometime in January, Wojnarowski adds.
Towns underwent an MRI on Tuesday morning that showed no structural damage to his Achilles, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Towns left Monday’s game in the third quarter after being injured on a non-contact play. He grabbed the back of his leg and needed help walking to the locker room.
Although there were fears that it could have been worse, the injury is still a major loss for the Wolves, who are off to a 10-11 start after losing Monday. Towns, a three-time All-Star, is averaging 20.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists through 21 games and is a major component in the team’s offense.
Towns has been adjusting to a new position after Minnesota traded for center Rudy Gobert during the summer. Their on-court partnership has gotten off to a rocky start, and Towns’ absence will provide another setback.
Twin Towers no more.
Minnesota’s disaster season continues. They currently are 10th in the standings. Dallas is behind them in 11th with Utah in front of them in 9th.
Minnesota is now realistically in a fight to make the playoffs. Utah owns Minnesota’s 1st round pick in 2023, and it’s unprotected. Minnesota is gonna have to find a way to stay in this thing.
Wow! Utah now has a legit shot at 2 draws in the lottery.
Prior to a few games ago. In 125 pick-and-roll situations with Gobert, Anthony Edwards passed him the ball just 4 times. Let’s see if he passes him the ball now. They need Edwards to score in the worst way now.
Pups will make the PO or at worst the play in. Edwards is too good and he’ll balloon his numbers with KAT out. Just a combo of Edwards, Gobert and Russell with the bench they have should be play off level. Towns is just obsessed with his shooting, just dominate the paint as a 5 which you’re amazing at (too bad that don’t work with Rudy)
The two bigs is clearly not working, Towns is a 5 pure and simple and he and Gobert are struggling to coexist. Will they adapt and make it work? Maybe, but if not worst case they move KAT and his value is high, could get a good return. But again no panic button yet, that pick for Jazz will be out of the lotto barring a colossal meltdown.(unlikely)
Couldn’t agree more about KAT. He is a 5. Especially at this stage in his career. Obsessed with launching jumpers.
Gobert is a good player, just not a fit in Minnesota.
They just need to let KAT and Ant get buckets, and everybody else just fit in.
“I won’t 3pt contest I’m the big man shooting GOAT, get me Gobert because I cans defend” feels like that’s what he might have said.
Gobert and KAT can still work just alternate the 5&4 on D and offence. But it’s not an easy adjustment.
Move KAT regardless. It’s obvious this isn’t working so try and get something in return before the entire league finds out he’s just another average player not living up to his hype.
Hovering around .500 a quarter of the way into the season? I’d hardly call that a disaster. That’s being a bit dramatic. Disappointment? Sure, definitely.
But EVERYONE and their mother was saying it would take some time to adjust. So, this shouldn’t come as any surprise. Let me be clear: this is not the Wolves’ year to be contenders. But let’s see about next year.
Hovering just below .500. Team not playing well. KAT now goes down for 4-6 weeks. All this from a team that traded every draft pick that wasn’t nailed down, and half their bench to acquire a player they said made them a title contender.
Yes, this is a disaster right now!
Well, I’ll say one game below .500 is–historically speaking–not bad for the Wolves. But it’s cool. Do your drama thing.
Well, this was NOT supposed to be an “ordinary” year for the Wolves.
By their own words, they declared themselves title contenders. They did victory laps all summer.
Let’s Recap Rudy Gobert Trade. Tim Connelly, who made the trade, is in his first year as President of Basketball Operations for Minnesota. Not sure he should get a 2nd year after this!
* Unprotected 1st round picks 2023, 2025 and 2027.
* Top 5 protected 1st round pick 2029
* Pick Swap 2026
Jarred Vanderbilt, Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Walker Kessler (2022 1st round pick, rim protector), Leandro Balmaro.
Timbs were about to get fun but Connelly and the new ownership are just dumb to think that Kat & Gobert can coexist …
Agreed. They had it figured out and just needed to move DLo for a true PG this past offseason; but they weren’t willing to wait for Kessler a year or so to develop into a “pseudo Gobert”, got impatient and traded away all their depth and future in a bone-headed trade.
The Wolves spacing problem just got solved. Now let this be the time that this becomes AE’s team while KAT is out.
Who replaces KAT’s offense other than Edwards? Gobert gonna score? D-Lo? McDaniels?
Spacing did get solved. That it did!
KAT is the superstar… Ant is just a good player, nothing more!
BTW KAT is MIN best shooter, he is the answer not the problem with spacing… maybe if Ant could shoot, like at all!
KAT is no superstar. Might look that way on the T-Wolves, but closer to a Wiggins than you might expect. He would thrive as a no pressured 3rd option on a good team. He’s not a leader.
@El Don… That Superstar KAT is Shooting 30% from 6 3s per game. Granted he’s a better shooter than this, but don’t blame the leading scorer for KATs poor shooting efficiency this year.
While Edwards is shooting 34% on 7 attempts. Edwards is a good shooter. Not amazing but good.
Did you forget he’s 21! And leading scorer on a “title contender”. He is their top guy, sooner KAT accepts this the better for the team.
To me this is the sign for the Jazz. Sell everyone. NOW. Get your self set up for top 4 odds with your own pick, and pray Minnesota crumbles even harder in these next 2 months without KAT.