Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star forward Karl-Anthony Towns has sustained a meniscus injury in his left knee, according to multiple reports.
Minnesota is 43-19 this season, tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Western Conference’s best record.
Towns’ injury comes at a critical time for the Timberwolves as they start a six-game road trip this week, starting with Thursday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, followed by a game with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a trip to Los Angeles to face the Lakers and the Clippers, plus two games against the Utah Jazz.
Karl-Anthony Towns 2023-2024 stats
Towns, a four-time NBA All-Star, including in 2023-24, is averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, and three assists in 60 games this season, hitting a career-high 42.3% on 3-pointers. It is not his best season statistically, but it is one of his best all-around seasons, which is contributing to one of the best seasons in franchise history.
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How long will Karl-Anthony Towns be out?
This is early in the process, and Towns and the team want to know the full extent of the injury before deciding on a course of treatment, even if that is surgery to repair the damage. The Athletic reported Towns is out indefinitely.
What does this mean for Timberwolves?
If Towns is sidelined for a significant number of games, it will make it harder for the Timberwolves to get the No. 1 in the West. Tied with the Thunder for the top spot, Minnesota is one game ahead of the third-place Denver Nuggets, the defending champ, and 2½ games ahead of the fourth-place Clippers.
Who will step in to replace Karl-Anthony Towns?
The Timberwolves have a solid rotation, but anytime an All-Star is out with an injury, there is a trickle-down impact on depth. Center-forward Naz Reid will receive more playing time in Towns’ absence. Reid signed a three-year, $41.9 million contract in the offseason and is another valuable contributor. He averages a career-high 12.3 points (shoots 48.2% from the field and 41% on 3s) and 4.8 rebounds in just 23 minutes per game. The Timberwolves also may go to a small-ball lineup more often with Kyle Anderson at power forward with Reid and center Rudy Gobert protecting the rim defensively.
