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Minnesota Timberwolves G D’Angelo Russell will miss 4-6 weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday evening. Russell had been sidelined with what the team described as a leg injury. He was expected to miss his fourth straight game due to the injury on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers. The surgery will remove loose bodies from Russell’s left knee, per the report.
ESPN Sources: Minnesota Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove a loose body in his left knee and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 16, 2021
The Timberwolves have had a tough time with injuries this season. Karl-Anthony Towns just returned after spending time in health and safety protocols after testing positive for Covid-19. Jarrett Culver is also sidelined for Minnesota, which is 7-20 and in last place in the Western Conference. Russell had been averaging 19.3 points and 5.1 assists over 20 games this season.
With D’Lo sidelined for at least one month, the Timberwolves won’t have an easier time climbing out of the basement of the West. It does mean more Malik Beasley goodness in fantasy basketball. Beasley leads the T-Wolves in scoring at 20.9 points per game over 27 contests. KAT isn’t eligible yet given he hasn’t played enough games. Towns, once up to speed, should also benefit from being one of the main scoring options for Minny.
This is also good news for rookie Anthony Edwards, who should continue to start at SF and grow in his first NBA season. Edwards is averaging 14.3 points in just over 27 minutes per game this season. Edwards is currently 12/1 to win Rookie of the Year on DraftKings Sportsbook. He’s still more of a long-shot with LaMelo Ball at -500 to win the award. This injury may help Edwards close that gap a bit more, gain some ground on Tyrese Haliburton as well.