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Year-Round News & Updates on the Minnesota Timberwolves
When it rains, it pours and this past month as been 'hell' for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the injury department.
It all started, of course, with Ricky Rubio in early March. After he went down with the torn ACL & LCL, it was basically a domino effect as we've lost a number of players for stretches since. It's no secret that J.J.'s injuries have kept him out of a good chunk of the Timberwolves' game this season. The Wolves have played 55 games this season and J.J. has played in just 30. He's had everything from a sprained ankle to a hamstring strain to a deep thigh bruise. Nikola Pekovic missed 8 of the last 9 games before Monday's game vs. the Kings. He's got bone spurs in his right ankle as a result of those he overcompensated with his left ankle, hurting them both. In Monday's return vs. the Kings he played 19 minutes off the bench and scored 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting and grabbed 4 rebounds. He'll need surgery after the season, but its sounding as though he'll be available for the TWolves' final 11 games. Pek said after the game (vs. SAC) that his ankles felt fine, but his conditioning was the biggest concern. Then there's Michael Beasley, in mid-March he sprained his big toe vs. the Phoenix Suns. He's missed the past four games and 7 of the last 12 games. He also missed a stretch of games early in the year with that mid-foot sprain. Beas had played in 37 of the Wolves 55 games this year. And now, most recently we may have lost Luke Ridnour for an extended period of time. Versus the Kings on Monday he went down on a drive to the bucket and came down awkwardly on his ankle. He lay on the baseline writhing in pain and eventually had to be helped off the court. He did not return to the game. He had X-rays that came back negative, but with just 11 games left in the regular season, it's uncertain whether we'll see him back this year... Here's hoping J.J. is healthy enough to play Wednesday vs. the Warriors. If J.J. is still out with that thigh contusion, it's sounding as though rookie Malcolm Lee & shooter Wayne Ellington will be the team's point guards. Because the roster is at the maximum 15 players, no one else can be signed, so the Wolves have to play with what they have. Lastly you have the supposed injury of Darko Milicic. Darko is listed as out with a hamstring strain with no timetable for a return. I think that's just a cover, because, we all know he's fallen WAY out of favor with Rick Adelman and is buried deep in his 'doghouse' and deep on that bench. Hopefully the Wolves will at least get J.J. Barea back and hopefully Michael Beasley as well. If J.J. will play I'd expect him to be the starting point guard and with Beasley coming off the bench that's a very good scorer chipping in points off the bench. That's all for now, keep an eye on our Injury Report listed under the Team Report section on this site for all the updates. Until then, thanks for reading HOWL and GO WOLVES!
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Cody AndersonA TWolves fan, bringing you the daily updates. News Archives
August 2017
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