Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns set to miss some time with calf strain
The Minnesota Timberwolves were dealt a tough blow after star big man Karl-Anthony Towns suffered a calf strain.
The Timberwolves are expected to be without Towns for the next four to six weeks. It’s a significant loss for an extended time frame. Although it’s much better than the initial optics appeared to be, as the injury occurred on a non-contact play.
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Towns suffered the injury after jogging back on defense during Monday’s loss to the Washington Wizards. His absence leaves a massive void as he’s been one of the team’s primary offensive contributors, pushing more of the onus on Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell to lead the charge.
Before the injury, Towns was averaging 21.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 50.5% shooting from the floor in 20 games. He posted 14 games with at least 20 points and eight double-doubles.
Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert will have a more central focus on both ends of the floor. He has struggled to fit in his first campaign in Minnesota due to his offensive limitations and struggles defending the pick-and-roll.
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Gobert will have more opportunities to play an impactful role as the team’s lone primary big man. In 19 games, he’s averaging 13.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks on 64.0% shooting in 31.8 minutes per contest.
The Timberwolves are sitting in the 11th spot in the Western Conference behind their 10-11 record. The team has struggled to find any consistency, which will be tested further with Towns out of the lineup through potentially mid-January.
