Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns to miss time after knee surgery
As the Minnesota Timberwolves continue to push toward securing the top seed in the Western Conference, the franchise suffered a significant blow with star center Karl-Anthony Towns set to undergo surgery to repair a torn left meniscus.
Towns is expected to return early in the playoffs. He will be reevaluated in four weeks, and he will likely need additional time to recover before returning to the court.
Want $250 to bet on NBA futures?
Towns is putting together another highly productive campaign, averaging 22.1 points and 8.4 rebounds. Meanwhile, he’s shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from beyond the arc in 60 games played.
He’s currently one of five players that is averaging at least 20 points while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent on 3-pointers.
He and fellow All-Star Anthony Edwards have become one of the league’s top young duos. His absence leaves a significant offensive void that puts more of the workload on Edwards’ shoulders.
Read: Darren Waller Yet To Inform Giants Of Retirement Decision
The Timberwolves are expected to turn to Naz Reid to play a bigger role. Reid has been effective off the bench with a career-best 12.6 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and a career-best 41.6 percent from deep.
Minnesota has been in a back-and-forth battle with Oklahoma City Thunder for the Western Conference top playoff seed. The Timberwolves are currently a half game behind the Thunder for that vaunted position.
Minnesota has 18 games remaining in the regular season to vie for the top playoff positioning. They have won six out of their last 10 games.
