It seems that the injuries and the absences of their main players will not give the Minnesota Timberwolves respite. And it is that as reported by the franchise, one of its young stars D’Angelo Russell, will have to undergo arthroscopic surgery this Wednesday to remove a loose body in his left knee. In this way the Wolves will not be able to count on the point guard for four to six weeks.
The Timberwolves can’t get through the season. They have just recovered Karl-Anthony Towns from an absence caused by COVID-19, and now they will have to face at least a month of campaign without another of their most important players.
Minnesota got Russell via trade deadline last season to add young talent and also to keep their top star Karl-Anthony Towns happy, with whom they are great friends. But injuries and the tragic news have meant that, more than a year after his arrival, the point guard has only played five games with Towns. Much remains to be seen of the pick-and-roll game between the two players, which the Wolves hope will be the team’s main offensive weapon for years to come.
These knee problems now allow us to understand Russell’s underperformance in the game this season. The point guard had already missed four of his team’s last five games. Despite his downgrading, this season – his first since starting with the Wolves – he’s averaging 19.3 points and 5.1 assists per game. Numbers more than acceptable for any starting point guard in the League.
With Russell out, we should prepare to see many more minutes of Ricky Rubio. On the other hand, Towns is still the Timberwolves’ best player, but Malik Beasley has proven to be their best squire, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take a step forward during DLoading’s absence.
The Timberwolves, at 7-20, currently have the worst record in the NBA. They owe their first-round pick in the next draft to the Golden State Warriors, as part of the trade that brought Russell to Minnesota. The caveat is that that pick has protection and will win the Minneapolis franchise if he finishes in the top three. (GG) (NBA Maniacs)