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You never wish for injuries. But if they have to happen, you want them to happen in the middle of the season and not in April when your team is making the playoff push.

So when it was reported that Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Jeff Teague will be sidelined indefinitely with a sprained left knee, it wasn't the worst news in the world for the Wolves.

Given that there's no structural damage, this particular injury might actually be exciting to some Wolves fans, because it means they'll get what they've been wanting for a long time now -- Tyus Jones, starting point guard.

Jones has played well as Minnesota's backup, but rarely logs over 15 minutes per game, thanks to head coach Tom Thibodeau's penchant for running his starters into the ground relying heavily on his starters. The Wolves have been a plus-3.5 in net rating with Jones on the court this season, and he's been particularly hot of late, shooting 55.7 percent from the field and and 51.9 percent on 3-pointers since Thanksgiving with 2.9 assists, 1.7 steals and just 0.6 turnovers per game.

Not to mention that Minnesota fans love them some Tyus Jones.

The love affair with Jones isn't unwarranted -- he's proven that he can fill in admirably for Teague in the starting lineup while playing big minutes. When Teague missed four games in late November, Jones averaged 11.3 points 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 1.0 turnovers in 38.2 minutes per game, while shooting 53 percent from the field and 47 percent 3-pointers.

Teague's absence will allow the Wolves to get an extended look at Jones in the starting unit, which could potentially help shape the future of the franchise.

Teague, who has been a solid, but not great, starting point guard over the past seven seasons, is owed $19 million per year through 2020, with a player option for his final season with the Wolves. If Jones can prove capable of handling the starting point guard duties, or even appears to be a better fit, Teague could become an interesting trade chip for the Wolves as they look to make the jump from a non-playoff team to a legitimate contender over the next few seasons.