The first seed in the Western Conference just got some bad news. On Thursday morning, The Athletic’s Shams Charania revealed that the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns will be out indefinitely, after a diagnosis revealed a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Towns had missed just three games this season, and was only expected to be dealing with “left knee soreness”.
NBA News: Minnesota Timberwolves Star Suffers Devastating Injury
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
Karl-Anthony Towns in 2023-24
Towns’ contributions to the Timberwolves’ success this season cannot be understated. The 28 year-old has meshed perfectly with Rudy Gobert and Anthony Edwards, forming one of the most formidable all-around trios in the NBA.
The former Kentucky star earned All-Star honors for the second time in his career. He is averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and three assists per game.
The sharpshooting big man is also connecting on 42.3% of his 5.3 three-point attempts per game: a career-best.
Karl-Anthony Towns’ Injury Options
Charania states that Towns is assessing all of his recovery options, in a last-chance bid to salvage his 2023-24 season.
Devastating injury – and timing – for what’s been a monster season for Towns and the No. 1 seed Timberwolves (43-19). Towns has been gathering second opinions on the meniscus tear over the last 24 hours, sources said. https://t.co/JSTRxeZxPs
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 7, 2024
Meniscus tears are an unfortunately common injury among the elites of the NBA in recent years.
Joel Embiid fell victim to the injury for the second time in his career back in January, and it is still unclear whether the reigning MVP will return to the court in time for the Philadelphia 76ers playoff run.
Kawhi Leonard also tore his meniscus in the 2023 playoffs, and following an offseason procedure, returned for the opening tip of the 2023-24 season.
Chris Paul‘s recovery from a meniscus tear back in 2010 was swift, as he returned to play in two months.
Even if Towns’ recovery proves as timely as Paul’s, he would only return in time for the second round of the playoffs.
Minnesota Timberwolves Injury Replacement
Minnesota is perhaps the team best-equipped to weather an injury to its star big man. In addition to Gobert, Minnesota also employs Naz Reid. The 24 year-old is one of the league’s best backup centers, if not the best.
Reid has only played two games without Towns in 2023-24. In those contests, he averaged 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 26 minutes per game.
Although Reid is not as renowned of an elite floor-spacer as Towns is, he is still a dangerous threat from beyond the arc. The former LSU Tiger is shooting 41% percent on his 4.6 three-point attempts per game.
What’s Next for Minnesota
The potential loss of Towns for the remainder of the season is a massive blow to the Timberwolves’ championship hopes.
Minnesota is in a battle with the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Los Angeles Clippers for the top seed in the West.
With 20 games to go until the playoffs, Minnesota has the 11th-hardest schedule remaining in the league. This includes three matchups against the reigning champion Nuggets.
