The Minnesota Timberwolves will not be at full strength when they face the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.
Both Jimmy Butler and Jamal Crawford, two of the team's best scorers, will be sidelined with injuries, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.
Jimmy Butler (sore knee) is unlikely to play Wednesday vs. Blazers, according to Thibs. https://t.co/ObvH75id9j
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) January 24, 2018
Jamal Crawford (toe) also unlikely vs. Blazers. Thibs says he is feeling better but he's still day-to-day. https://t.co/cgL3H9Jl1k
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) January 24, 2018
Butler looks to be out with a sore knee, while Crawford has an issue with his toe.
What hurts most for the Timberwolves about this news is Butler not being able to play. He is a starter and arguably the team's best player. He's averaging 21.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists so far this season, and will miss his fifth game of the year.
Crawford, on the other hand, is a bench player for the Timberwolves. The team acquired him via free agency over the summer in hopes of some pure scoring off the bench.
But Crawford has had a rough season thus far. His minutes are way down, averaging only 18.7 per game this season compared to 26.3 last season, per Basketball-Reference. He's also averaging only 9.5 points per game, his lowest output since the 2002-03 season.
This is the third consecutive game that Crawford will miss with the injured toe. Before the injury, Crawford had played in every game.
The Timberwolves are 31-18 on the season, which is third in the Western Conference. They and the San Antonio Spurs have identical records.
Without Butler and Crawford, the Timberwolves will have to look to Karl-Anthony Towns for the bulk of the scoring against the Trail Blazers. But the team has played well so far this season and is well-coached, so they it should have a good chance to steal a victory.
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