The Minnesota Timberwolves received brutal news on March 7, All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns has suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and could be out indefinitely, per multiple reports. Shams Charania of the Athletic and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN broke the news on Twitter/X.
Towns, who played in the All-Star game in February, is having another great year. The 7-footer is averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 3 assists in 60 games this year. On top of that, he is shooting 50.6% from the field and a career-best 42.3% from deep this season.
While the news is devastating for the Timberwolves, Wojnarowski reported that “Towns is undergoing further evaluation to determine whether an immediate procedure is required, or whether there are rehab options that could return him to Minnesota’s lineup in the more immediate future.”
Charania reported similarly, stating that Towns “has been gathering further opinions on the injury over the past 24 hours.” Should Towns miss an extended period of time, the “injury could open the door” for T.J. Warren to get some minutes. The Timberwolves signed Warren to a 10-day contract.
While there is never “good” timing for a player to get injured, right now is especially bad timing. The Timberwolves are currently 43-19, tied for first place in an ultra-competitive Western Conference. They also have the 11th toughest schedule for the remainder of the season, per Tankathon.
How Big of a Loss is KAT? Where Will They Miss Him?
The Timberwolves score nearly 8 points more with Towns on the floor per 100 possessions. When he’s on the court, the T-Wolves score 118.8 points per 100 possessions, compared to 110.9 when he sits. Only Anthony Edwards has a bigger impact on scoring per 100 possessions, where the Timberwolves score 10.5 points less with Ant sitting.
Additionally, the team’s True Shooting Percentage drops by about 4% when Towns isn’t on the floor.
Towns is one of the most gifted scoring bigs in the league. He feasts in pick and roll situations, where he currently generates 1.45 points per possession, on 2 possessions per game. For reference, that is the most efficient scoring in the league in pick and roll situations, among any player who averages at least two pick and rolls per game.
The Timberwolves are among the league’s best 3-point shooting teams, and Towns is a huge reason why. He takes the second-most 3-point shots on the team, 5.3 per game, and hits them at 42.3%. His combination of size and skill is a rarity, and he currently leads the league in 3-point percentage, among 7-footers who take at least 1 3-pointer per game.
T-Wolves Upcoming Schedule
On March 7, the Timberwolves will face the Indiana Pacers, followed by games against the Cleveland Cavaliers (March 8), Los Angeles Lakers (March 10), and Los Angeles Clippers (March 12).
The Timberwolves last played the Pacers on December 16, when they beat them 127-109, in a game where Towns dropped 40 points and added 12 rebounds and 4 assists in 35 minutes.
It’s unclear just how long Towns will be out for, but what is clear, is it won’t be easy for the Timberwolves to hang onto that top spot in the West without their All-Star. Whether it’s fellow All-Star Edwards taking on more of the offensive load, Warren carving out a role for himself, or a collective effort by the whole roster, the team will need to dig deep in Town’s absence.
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