Kevin Love out until mid-March following hand surgery next week

Kevin Love is expected to miss the next 8-10 weeks. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Consider it a lost season for Kevin Love, and perhaps the Timberwolves.

Minnesota's All-Star forward is expected to miss 8-10 weeks after he undergoes surgery on his right hand next week, according to a tweet Wednesday afternoon from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. He had broken his hand in a game against the Denver Nuggets last week, the same hand he broke in October while working out during the preseason. He had returned in the middle of November, earlier than expected, so this latest setback comes just as he was starting to get back into his rhythm.

By then, with less than a month to go once he is expected to make his return, the Wolves should have a much better idea of where they stand in terms of playoff contention. Should they be out of the race at that point -- they are currently the ninth seed, 1.5 games behind the Nuggets -- it would seem likely that the team would not rush him back, something they perhaps did earlier in the season which may weigh into how they approach his rehab this time around.