Karl-Anthony Towns expected to miss 4-6 weeks with right calf strain

Tuesday update: Towns is officially going to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks with a right calf strain, per Adrian Wojnarowski. The big man is expected to return at some point in January, which means more minutes for Gobert in the middle. Given how competitive the West is going to be, Towns going down will be tough on the Timberwolves if they can’t get some contributions from role players. D’Angelo Russell will also need to step up in the starting lineup but the key man is Gobert. Minnesota gave up a lot to get him and he has to have a monster month here to prove his value.

Update: It’s officially a calf injury for Towns and he will not return to Monday’s contest.

Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns left Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards after suffering a leg injury. Towns had to be helped off the floor by trainers, so there’s little optimism when it comes to his return to the contest.

Here’s video of the injury, which was a non-contact one for Towns.

If Towns doesn’t return to this contest, and it seems like he won’t, he’ll finish with eight points, four assists and two rebounds in 22 minutes of action. This is obviously a tough blow for the Timberwolves, who were hoping Towns and Rudy Gobert could co-exist and elevate this roster. If Towns is out for a while, Gobert takes over as the team’s lone big man. While he is a defensive force, he lacks Towns’ offensive skillset and could be a liability on that end of the floor against better competition.

The Timberwolves have struggled to build on last year’s playoff run so far and Towns going down as the season moves into December is not a good sign.