The Minnesota Timberwolves are getting some promising news ahead of the playoffs. All-Star forward Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to return in one of the Wolves' final three regular season games after missing more than a month with a knee injury that required surgery. Towns will be back on the court either Wednesday night against Denver or over the weekend as Minnesota closes out its regular season, per Shams Charania. This news comes after he participated in his first scrimmage on Sunday.
Minnesota ends the season at home with games against the Hawks on Friday and Suns on Sunday. The Wolves have clinched a top-four seed in the West and won't play their first playoff game until April 20 or 21.
This is huge for the Timberwolves, who currently sit atop the Western Conference standings. Prior to the meniscus injury, Towns was experiencing one of his best seasons, averaging 22.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists. His production on offense was a significant reason why Minnesota was experiencing so much success this season. The frontcourt with Towns and Rudy Gobert also finally started to click after there were some clear growing pains last season.
After The Wolves' win against the Lakers Sunday night, Anthony Edwards hinted that a Towns return would be on the horizon.
"KAT coming back," Edwards said. "KAT will be back."
There wasn't a significant amount of drop off for the Wolves in Towns' absence, as the team maintained its winning ways without him, but that says more about their depth than the impact the versatile forward makes. Naz Reid, who is a contender for Sixth Man of the Year, stepped up in a major way, and averaged 18.2 points in 12 starts with Towns sidelined. Getting Towns back would allow for Reid to move back to his bench role, where he's excelled this season, and insert Towns back into the starting lineup where the Wolves have scored 5.9 more points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor.
With the Timberwolves likely close to full strength when the playoffs start, they should be considered a dangerous threat in the West.
