Potential playoff foe of the Nuggets receives “excellent news” regarding injured star
The Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves are currently tied at 54-24, which has created a close competition for the top seed in the Western Conference. The Thunder are also in the running, trailing by just one game, but recently they have been losing games and not having Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams in the lineup.
Both players are anticipated to return by the playoffs, if not earlier, and it appears unlikely that those injuries are serious. Due to knee and ankle injuries, Jamal Murray missed seven games, leaving the Nuggets without a star player until recently.
However, he was able to play again on Saturday night in the Hawks’ decisive victory. The Timberwolves are the team that has been missing a key player for the longest out of the three teams vying for the top seed.
Since early March, All-Star forward Karl-Anthony Towns has been sidelined by the Timberwolves due to a meniscus injury. It was thought unlikely that he would return given the severity of the injury unless the team had a successful postseason run.
Karl-Anthony Towns’ injury status for the Timberwolves
But, Towns was able to scrimmage five on five, and it is anticipated that he will play in the regular season, which concludes on Sunday, according to Shams Charania of the Athletic, which brought some excellent news to the Timberwolves on Monday.
Given that Towns is a superb offensive player and among the league’s best big men shooters, this would be fantastic news for Minnesota. Without KAT in the starting lineup, the Timberwolves have managed to maintain their outstanding defense, but their offense will not be as strong come playoff time.
KAT will help the attack.
As he has demonstrated numerous times throughout his career, KAT is a reliable second option who can lead the offense. This season, he has gladly yielded to superstar Anthony Edwards, which has greatly contributed to the Timberwolves’ success.
However, it’s also become evident that the offense won’t be strong enough to survive in the postseason without him. It’s fantastic news for Minnesota that they were able to get Towns back, possibly even before the playoffs started.
The Nuggets may be in danger from T-Wolves.
With the league’s best defense by a wide margin, the Timberwolves have been among the top teams in the league the entire season. They’ve also had success playing Denver; they defeated them several times this season and looked strong against them in the playoffs last year. With KAT and Rudy Gobert in the starting lineup, they have been able to pose a challenge to the Nuggets when playing multiple big men.
The Nuggets may face the Timberwolves in the second round or perhaps the Western Conference finals if both teams make it that far. The news that Towns is expected to return made those opportunities much more likely, and the Wolves will present the Nuggets with a tough opponent when they play.
