Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Robert Covington has been dealing with a bruised right ankle since New Year's Day. Initially, he was expected to miss “multiple weeks” of action. Two weeks have passed and it seems he'll need a bit more time to fully recover.
According to a report from Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, there is still no timetable for Covington's return, as he's yet to do any significant work on the court. To be fair, though, Covington says he isn't pressing the issue:
Robert Covington says there is still no timetable for his return. Says he hasn't done anything significant yet on the court. "I haven't pressed the issue just yet.
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) January 15, 2019
The Timberwolves acquired Covington by way of a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers back in November — the same deal that led Jimmy Butler to Philly. “RoCo,” as he's known, made an immediate impact on the defensive end of the floor for Minnesota. Hopefully, he'll be back on the court sooner rather than later.
In his 22 appearances with Minnesota this season, Covington has racked up averages of 14.5 points on 43.3 percent shooting from the field (37.2 percent from beyond the arc), 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 34.7 minutes per outing.
Rookie shooting guard Josh Okogie, who scored 17 points and five rebounds in Saturday's 110-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, has been starting in Covington's absence. Meanwhile, veteran forward Anthony Tolliver has seen his usage rate go up with the second unit.
The Timberwolves (21-22 and 5th in the Northwest Division standings) have won four of their last five games. They'll look to keep their momentum rolling on Tuesday night, when they visit Butler and the Sixers. Tip-off inside the Wells Fargo Center is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.
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