On Monday, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Trail Blazers 119-114. That improved their record to 43-19 this season. Tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for first place in the Western Conference. Today, the Timberwolves got hit with unfortunate news. Big man Karl-Anthony Towns reportedly has a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Shams Charania of The Athletic first to report Towns’ injury. The four-time all-star is now out indefinitely for the Timberwolves. Not ideal for Minnesota at this point in the season. They have 20 regular season games left in 2023-24. Towns could miss the rest of the year including playoffs if the knee injury was serious. Minnesota is determining what the next step is for their all-star center.
Karl-Anthony Towns has no timetable on when he’ll return for the Timberwolves
Just in: Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns has been diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his left knee and is out indefinitely, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/JlPe73PnN9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 7, 2024
Before this recent injury, Towns had only missed two games this season for Minnesota. The big man wanted to stay healthy and be available in 2023-24. Towns was sidelined for 51 games in 202-23 because of a calf injury. He bounced back and had an all-star season this year for Minnesota. A large part of why they are one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Now that Towns is out indefinitely, Minnesota will have to make an adjustment to the starting lineup.
In 2023-24, Towns was averaging (22.1) points, (8.4) rebounds, and (3.0) assists. Additionally, his (.423) three-point percentage was a new career-high for the 28-year-old. However, in his last four games, Towns’ offensive production dropped to around 16 points per game. A lingering knee injury could have been a factor in his averages dipping slightly.
ESPN Sources: Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has suffered a left meniscus injury, but it remains unclear about how much, if any, time he’ll be required to miss. Towns and team are working to get full understanding of degree of injury and whether it demands immediate action.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 7, 2024
There is a real chance that Towns needs surgery that could end his season. If that’s the case, head coach Chris Finch will likely turn to Naz Reid as an addition to the starting lineup. Reid has played in all 62 games for the Timberwolves this season and has made zero starts. He averages (12.3) points, (4.8) rebounds, and (1.1) assists per game. Much like Towns, Reid is also a big man with efficiency from a long distance. The 24-year-old should be an easy fit into Minnesota’s starting lineup.
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