Led by All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns, the Minnesota Timberwolves are off to a red-hot 2-0 start with wins over the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz. That’s the good NBA news relating to these Timberwolves.
Unfortunately, there’s also bad news to report as it relates to Towns and his Timberwolves. The team’s best player is now facing some time on the shelf due to an injury he suffered Saturday night against the Jazz.
NBA news: Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has dislocated wrist
“During the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game against the Utah Jazz, Towns sustained an injury to his left wrist. He was evaluated by a hand specialist today in Los Angeles, which revealed a left perilunate subluxation (dislocation),” the Timberwolves announced Sunday evening, via their official website. “Towns will be listed as out for tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers and will be further evaluated weekly as he undergoes treatment to return to play. He will not require surgery.”
Towns, 25, missed the final 12 games of last season after undergoing surgery on the same wrist. However, surgery will not be required here. The latest injury is also in a different spot on the wrist. With that said, the Timberwolves are bracing for a multi-week absence.
Towns has been instrumental in leading Minnesota to a 2-0 start to the 2020-21 season. He’s averaging 19.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.0 blocks on 41% shooting from the field.
In the 29 combined games that Karl-Anthony Towns missed last season, the Wolves posted a 9-20 record. They were 10-25 with him on the court. With that said, it’s not a stretch to conclude that the two-time All-Star makes this team a whole lot better. He averaged 26.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists a season ago.
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The hope for these Wolves is that Towns won’t be forced to miss substantial action. During what is a 72-game schedule this season, each outing takes on even more significance. Based on what the Timberwolves did during the offseason, they hope to contend for a bottom-end playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Towns’ injury is also concerning in that he and fellow Timberwolves All-Star D’Angelo Russell played in just one game together a season ago after Russell was acquired in a trade deadline deal with the Golden State Warriors. Minnesota’s brass wants to see what the two can do together.
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