Report: Karl-Anthony Towns out indefinitely with torn meniscus
The Minnesota Timberwolves are suddenly in a perilous situation with news Thursday that All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns has suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and will be out indefinitely.
The troubling news was first reported by Shams Charania, less than 24 hours after the Timberwolves announced that Towns would not be available for Thursday's game against the Indiana Pacers due to "left knee soreness."
How long will Towns be out? That depends on the severity of the tear. In the case of Joel Embiid, who has missed 15 straight games with a torn meniscus, the plan is for him to return yet this season though there is no timeline for that to happen.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski says it's unclear "how much, if any, time he'll be required to miss."
With Towns out, the Timberwolves have options to replace him in the starting lineup. Typically, the starting nod has gone to Kyle Anderson, though Naz Reid would be a suitable option if Minnesota wants as much offensive firepower as possible to match the output of Towns.
Towns has averaged 22.1 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 42.3% from 3-point range in 60 games this season. Replacing him will be extremely difficult and further depress Minnesota's offensive outlook, which is already a bit dicey being ranked 18th in offensive rating.
Minnesota's net rating with Anthony Edwards and Towns on the court is +9.0 featuring a 121.5 offensive rating and 112.5 defensive rating this season.
Minnesota net rating with Edwards on the court and Towns off is +13.1, fueled by a 114.5 offensive rating and stingy 101.3 defensive rating. That's a sign of hope for the rest of the season, but what happens when Towns is out injured and Edwards needs a breather?
It's not good. With both Edwards and Towns on the bench, the Wolves boast a -4.6 net rating thanks to a 105.5 offensive rating and a 110.1 defensive rating.
This is a developing story.
Dec 21, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives to the basket against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Target Center.
Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
