Karl-Anthony Towns Headlines NBA Injury Report For Wednesday, January 8
Karl-Anthony Towns Headlines NBA Injury Report For Wednesday, January 8
Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to a calf injury. Towns, who is averaging 24.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game this season, has missed the last two games with the injury. The Timberwolves are now 2-2 without Towns in the lineup.
Injury Details
Towns suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Saturday's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. He left the game with 2:50 remaining and did not return. The Timberwolves initially listed Towns as day-to-day, but an MRI on Sunday revealed a Grade 1 calf strain. A Grade 1 strain is the least severe type of muscle strain and typically takes 1-2 weeks to heal.
Impact on the Timberwolves
Towns' absence is a major blow to the Timberwolves, who are currently 20-23 and in eighth place in the Western Conference. Towns is the team's leading scorer, rebounder, and assist man. Without him, the Timberwolves will need to find other players to step up and fill the void.
Possible Replacements
The Timberwolves have several options to replace Towns in the starting lineup. One possibility is to move Anthony Edwards to power forward and start Jaden McDaniels at small forward. Another option is to start Naz Reid at center and move McDaniels to power forward. Reid has been a solid contributor off the bench this season, averaging 8.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
Outlook
The Timberwolves are hopeful that Towns will be able to return to action soon. However, the team is not going to rush him back from injury. The Timberwolves want to make sure that Towns is fully healthy before he returns to the lineup.
Conclusion
Karl-Anthony Towns' injury is a significant setback for the Timberwolves. The team will need to find a way to replace his production on the court. However, the Timberwolves are confident that Towns will be able to return to action soon and help the team make a push for the playoffs.