Thursday morning, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported horrible news for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Karl-Anthony Towns is “out indefinitely” after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee.
The Timberwolves have been atop the Western Conference standings for most of the season, and they have also been one of the healthiest teams in the NBA this season. Four of their five starters have played 90% or more of the team’s total games.
Winning teams need some fortune, especially regarding health. For example, the Denver Nuggets had the luxury of using the same starting five for all 20 postseason games on their championship run last year.
The Wolves have a long history of season-altering injuries. But they have had luck on their side amid a franchise-best season.
Injuries are inevitable, and teams have to adapt. Minnesota’s injuries this season have been minor. Jaden McDaniels has missed 10 games so far, but Nickeil Alexander-Walker has stepped up and played at a high level every time. Mike Conley, 36, has missed five games, again with Alexander-Walker filling in for him.
However, the luck has seemingly turned for the Wolves following Thursday morning’s news.
Towns is in the middle of an incredibly productive season, averaging 22 points and 8.4 rebounds on 50.6% from the floor, 42.3% from three-point range, and 87.4% from the charity stripe in 32.8 minutes per game. The former Kentucky Wildcat was also named to his fourth All-Star appearance primarily because he is a driving factor to his team’s success.
Minnesota’s offense is rated 18th in the NBA (114.6). With a lack of star power, the Wolves have issues generating productive and consistent offense. Towns and Anthony Edwards are the two players on its roster capable of shouldering most of the offensive load. The Timberwolves typically have scoring issues when one or both are on the bench.
The Wolves’ offensive rating had dipped to 23rd (109.7) following the All-Star break. They just concluded their longest homestand of the season, going 4-3 and playing at a level far lower than what got them to No. 1 in the West. With 20 games left until the postseason starts, Chris Finch told Paul Allen on Wednesday that there is still time to get back on track.
“We are not playing our best basketball out of the break,” Finch explained. “We are still a little off, but the good thing is, we have 20 games to try and get sharp again. These seasons are long, and you are just not going to be at your best the whole time. The key is being at your best at the right time and we have the chance to still do that.”
For the Wolves to hold onto the No. 1 seed, enter the playoffs with homecourt advantage, and return to their dominant level of play, the injury to their second-leading scoring could not have come at a worse time. However, nobody is going to feel sorry for them, and the season isn’t going to stop.
Minnesota sets out on a six-game road trip against playoff contenders like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Los Angeles Clippers. As the team gears up to finish the regular season without Towns, a next-man-up mindset needs to enter its collective head.
The severity of KAT’s meniscus tear is a mystery. Still, with just under six weeks remaining in the regular season, there is hope he will return in time for the first round of the playoffs, depending on if surgery is needed. In the meantime, the Wolves should aim to stay above the fifth seed at minimum.
Luckily, Finch and his staff have a history of constructing lineups, rotations, and plays without Towns, who missed 52 games with a calf staring last season.
Kyle Anderson started 46 of those 52 games for Minnesota. During that span, he played lockdown defense, kept the ball moving around Edwards, and got the most out of Rudy Gobert. Finch said Anderson “saved the season” for the Wolves with his rock-solid play, and he has a chance to do the same thing now.
Until now, Towns has missed just two games this season, with Anderson filling in for him both times. Without KAT, Minnesota is 2-0 and has a minus-8.07 net rating, 103.3 offensive rating, and 111.2 defensive rating in the 62 minutes with Conley, Edwards, McDaniels, Anderson, and Gobert on the floor. The offense and defense taking hits with Towns out of the mix are expected. But, like last year, Kyle looks much more comfortable operating as a power forward next to Gobert.
As long as KAT is out, Minnesota’s coaching staff will not be able to depend on his three-point shooting and aggressiveness off the dribble in isolation situations. To combat the lost individual offense, prioritizing Gobert in pick-and-roll sets is a phenomenal way to promote structured offense that benefits everyone.
Additionally, Naz Reid’s success will be paramount in masking the hole Karl’s absence leaves behind.
Reid injects life into his team whenever he steps onto the floor. The 6’9” versatile big is averaging 12.3 points and 4.8 rebounds on 48.2% from the floor and 41% from deep in 23 minutes per game. He’s been the one constant off Finch’s bench, which leads me to believe he will stay in a backup role even with Towns out.
Regardless of when and where he is deployed, Naz’s unique ability to score inside and out gives the Wolves someone capable of initiating their own offense in the frontcourt. Not many teams can say they have a backup player with this ability – just another plus to Minnesota’s unique roster construction.
Reid and Anderson’s altered roles moving forward will shift things around in the rotation. Tim Connelly assembled a deep roster this summer, which is now coming in handy as the Wolves navigate through their first significant injury of the season. However, Connelly and his staff’s work is far from over. Another addition for the rest of the regular season and playoffs seems even more necessary than before.
Minnesota’s front office has circled through 10-day contracts after the trade deadline. They brought Justin Jackson in for 10 days on Feb. 22. Now it’s TJ Warren, who they signed on March 6, occupying that spot.
Ten-day contracts are great for players to show a team what they are capable of, but they aren’t sustainable past the regular season. For a player to be eligible for the playoffs, they have to be signed to a standard NBA contract.
That means Luka Garza, Jaylen Clark, Daishen Nix (all signed to two-way contracts), and Warren will not be on the active roster after the regular season. Even with one 10-day contract on the payroll, Minnesota still has one standard roster spot open and $1,329,512 in luxury tax space, according to SpoTrac.
On February 12, a report surfaced stating Marcus Morris was “leading toward signing” with the Wolves once the San Antonio Spurs buy him out. Since then, there has been no traction or any other credible reports linking Morris to Minnesota. However, San Antonio bought out the veteran forward on Feb. 29, making him eligible for the playoffs with whichever team he signs. And after Towns’ injury, adding the score-first forward would be valuable.
Regardless of who Connelly and Co. bring in as the Wolves buckle up to finish the regular season without their Post With the Most, the rest of the way will be even more of a full-team effort.
Unfortunate injuries always happen, but the team-wide mindset following them can make or break the season. Minnesota has the tools and experience playing without Towns, and it will be vital they tap back into its mindset of last season to remain atop the West standings.
