The Minnesota Timberwolves are expected to be without the services of star center Karl-Anthony Towns for the duration of the regular season as he prepares to undergo corrective surgery on his knee.
After discovering a tear in the meniscus of his left knee, Towns and the Minnesota front office conferred with multiple doctors to determine the best course of action. After much discussion, all parties opted for surgery in the hopes of the 28 year old being able to return at some point during the playoffs.
“An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) taken yesterday on Towns revealed a Left Knee Lateral Meniscus Tear,” the club said in a statement posted to the team website. “Towns will undergo surgery early next week on the torn meniscus and will be re-evaluated in four weeks. Further updates will be provided when available.
The news comes as a major blow for the Timberwolves who are currently in the midst of a heated battle for the top spot in the Western Conference. As of Friday, the T-wolves occupied the 1 seed in the West with a 44-19 record, but sit just a half game up on the Thunder and 1 game clear of the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets.
In his absence, Naz Reid and Kyle Anderson are expected to see upticks in usage. However the numbers don’t lie, Minnesota is simply a better team with KAT on the floor. The Timberwolves currently sport a 116.5 offensive efficiency rating when their 4x All-Star is in the lineup, while that that figure drops to 106.1 when he’s on the bench.
Currently averaging 22.1pts/8.4reb/3ast per night, Towns’ absence may be something the club can weather down the homestretch of the regular season, but come playoff time, will be hard pressed to go on a deep run without the former rookie of the year. Towns is one of only 5 players in the league averaging at least 20pts per game while shooting 50% from the floor and 40% from the 3 point line.
His 42.3% mark from beyond the arc and 87.4% rate from the free throw line both represent career highs for the former Kentucky Wildcat.
With KAT out of action, Anthony Edwards is certainly doing his part to fill the void offensively and in his own end of the court. The 22 year old made one of the more impressive game saving blocks vs. Indiana that you’re likely to see on Thursday night.
However, with multiple teams breathing down their neck out West, it remains to be seen whether the Timberwolves can weather the storm and maintain their 1 seed heading into the postseason.
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.