It's unclear just how well Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns would play in his return from a 51-game, 113-day absence after he suffered a calf injury in late November. Given how lengthy his layoff has been, some rust would have been understandable, especially when Towns faced a serious setback in his injury recovery process. And it seems like that's exactly what Timberwolves point guard Mike Conley thought during their Wednesday night contest against the Atlanta Hawks.
Speaking with reporters after the Timberwolves' 125-124 win over the Hawks that wasn't without its fair share of late-game officiating drama, Conley joked that he thought Towns wouldn't be able to play as he well as he did.
“I was expecting him to play a little worse,” Conley said, per Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
It wouldn't be too fair to expect Karl-Anthony Towns to just pick up where he left off back in November. Before going down with injury, Towns was starting to find his offensive groove, particularly with his playmaking, despite the growing pains he has encountered following the Timberwolves' blockbuster Rudy Gobert trade in the offseason.
Thus, expecting Towns to put up a performance worse than the one he gave on Wednesday night — 22 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two game-winning free throws — may not have been the worst idea in the world. As some wise people have said before, there's always a semblance of truth in jokes. And it seems like that may have been the case with what Mike Conley said.
At the end of the day, it looks like the Timberwolves will have no room for Towns to play worse, his lengthy recovery process notwithstanding. Even after their win against the Hawks, they still aren't in a position to claim the outright playoff berth that comes with finishing sixth in one's conference.
And to make the steep uphill climb they have ahead of them even steeper, Anthony Edwards' status remains up in the air after he injured his ankle.
Moreover, the Timberwolves' next three games will come against the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, and Phoenix Suns, in what should be a stretch that goes a long way towards dictating how their 2022-23 season unfolds.
Follow Us
Subscribe