The Minnesota Timberwolves got some rough news over the weekend. Their leader and All-Star wing player Jimmy Butler will likely miss at the least the remainder of the regular season after suffering a torn meniscus in Minnesota’s loss to Houston Friday night.
He underwent surgery over the weekend and doesn’t have a clear timetable for return at this point.
NEWS: Jimmy Butler underwent successful meniscus surgery this morning on his right knee. The operation was performed by Team Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Diane Dahm at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Butler will be sidelined indefinitely. #Twolves pic.twitter.com/J7ZhxHhXvF
— Timberwolves PR (@Twolves_PR) February 25, 2018
The T’Wolves are currently in 4th place in the western conference at 37-26, but they are only 3.5 games ahead of the 9th place Clippers who are 31-27.
This is really bad news and unfortunate timing for a T’Wolves team that seemed assured to make their 1st postseason appearance since 2004 and was well equipped to position themselves to possibly have home court for their 1st round match-up as well.
Typically, the return timetable is in the 4 to 6 week range, using the most conservative end of that time frame, that would have Butler back essentially at the end of the 2017-18 regular season.
Everybody responds differently in their recovery though and the T’Wolves have plenty of precautionary tales of what it can do to a players career if he comes back before he is fully ready, think Brandon Roy.
This is just another example in a line of many that show that Tom Thibodeau overworks his players and increases the likelihood that they suffer more injuries…
Dream Injury Team
Made in Tom Thibodeau pic.twitter.com/XcGCC3qXZJ— Marcin Wi?ckowski (@87Wieckowski) February 26, 2018
Here’s to hoping the Wolves can stay afloat while the await Butler’s recovery.
