The Minnesota Timberwolves’ season from hell continued Friday evening as they misplaced to the Chicago Bulls in double extra time and will have misplaced Anthony Edwards for the rest of the common season to an ankle damage. There hasn’t been an official replace from the staff. Edwards returned to the bench in a strolling boot towards the tip of the sport and briefly informed reporters he was going to be nice.
I can respect Ant’s perspective and toughness. He’s performed in 71 of 71 video games whereas different stars can barely be bothered to play seven straight. There are solely three weeks left on the NBA common season calendar, and the T-Wolves are a sport out of the playoffs and a sport away from lacking the play-in.
But don’t have any worry, Minnesota, backup must be arriving any time. (Hey, Karl, that’s your cue.) Karl-Anthony Towns is near coming back from a calf damage that has lingered for months. The replace from two days in the past was that KAT shall be again within the “coming weeks.” Whatever which means higher imply he’ll be again on the ground quickly.
The Good
All issues thought of, it’s nonetheless not that dangerous as a result of the underside of the West is abysmal. Minnesota has to stave off the Jazz, Pelicans, and Blazers for the 12 seed. Two of these organizations are in a free fall, and Danny Ainge is doing every thing in his energy to maintain the third staff within the lottery.
Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert are greater than able to enjoying .500 basketball for a brief span, and hopefully, it’s lengthy sufficient to bridge the hole till Towns returns. Oh and when that occurs, no matter points Gobert and Towns had sharing the ground collectively higher magically disappear.
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The Bad
Minnesota with out Edwards is the 2021 Utah Jazz however older and with out Donovan Mitchell, and that’s about as miserable of a basketball scenario as you’ll discover. The entrance workplace gave away 1,000,000 draft picks for Gobert, and the one argument it was a wise transfer is that he’s the final cornerstone standing.
D’Angelo Russell is a Laker, KAT’s pure state is nursing an damage, and the brightest spot of all of the spots crumbled to the court docket Friday evening and screamed “TIMEOUT!” like he was making an attempt to cease a struggle after getting belted by his older brother too laborious.
The entrance workplace has already tried to retcon the narrative as soon as, and it didn’t take, so if this season ends abruptly, the subsequent steps might be extra drastic.
The Ugly
The solely means the Wolves keep away from an offseason of pundits questioning who’s sad and followers making faux KAT trades is that if they get into the playoffs and win a spherical. It’s doable, nevertheless it’ll take Edwards returning for the playoffs, and Towns going ballistic as quickly as doable for so long as doable.
Any time we marvel which franchise is the gold customary for mismanagement, Minnesota affords up a season like this, or the 12 months after the final time they made the playoffs when Jimmy Butler hacked his means out of Minneapolis with a machete. Then that prompts folks to ask, “Weren’t you the team that took two point guards not named Steph Curry ahead of Steph Curry?” And issues proceed to spiral from there.
So, better of luck, T-Wolves followers. And simply know, it’s not your fault.
We really really feel dangerous for Minnesota sports activities followers, however not sufficient to jot down good issues about Kirk Cousins. Read extra Timberwolves and Vikings information on Deadspin’s staff pages.
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