Getty Minnesota Timberwolves guard Derrick Rose
The Minnesota Timberwolves remain shorthanded for Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Fortunately, it seems there are reinforcements coming in the near future. Minnesota has been playing with somewhat of a thin bench since injuries to Derrick Rose and Robert Covington. Unfortunately, a road game against Russell Westbrook and the Thunder isn’t ideal for that situation.
On a more positive note, the Timberwolves have managed to pull off back-to-back wins to wrap up last week, but their weekend ended with a bit of drama. President and head coach Tom Thibodeau was surprising fired after Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers, leaving many around the league stunned.
The team will now move forward with interim coach Ryan Saunders, and we broke down the latest on Minnesota’s roster and starting lineup in his first game leading the way. Along with that, we’ll look at the latest updates on injuries to Rose and Covington.
Timberwolves Roster & Starting Lineup vs. Thunder
*Notates expected starter
C: Karl-Anthony Towns*, Gorgui Dieng
PF: Taj Gibson*, Dario Saric, Anthony Tolliver
SF: Andrew Wiggins*, Luol Deng
SG: Josh Okogie*, Jared Terrell
PG: Jeff Teague*, Tyus Jones, Jerryd Bayless
The Timberwolves will stick with Josh Okogie in the starting lineup more than likely, as he’s played big minutes with Rose and Covington sidelined. Although Okogie hasn’t posted big numbers, he’s been fairly efficient and scored eight points with three blocks, two rebounds and one steal over 34 minutes against the Lakers.
Jeff Teague’s return from injury has been welcomed, as the veteran point guard scored 23 points with 10 assists against the Orlando Magic two games ago. He followed that up by tallying 15 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in a dominant win over Los Angeles on Sunday. Teague will continue to do a decent amount of the heavy lifting and be one of the primary facilitators with his two teammates remaining out.
Obviously, Karl-Anthony Towns’ red-hot stretch has been worth talking about. He’s led the team in both scoring and rebounding in five of the last six games, topping 28 points and 15 rebounds in each. Following the Jimmy Butler trade, Towns has excelled and through the first three games of January, he’s averaged 28.3 points, 15.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 blocks per game.
Latest on Derrick Rose & Robert Covington Injuries
Beginning with Rose, who’s now missed five consecutive games with an ankle injury, the outlook is positive overall. He revealed to Alan Horton of the Timberwolves that the plan is to sit out against the Thunder and to return for Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. This is great news, as Rose has averaged 18.9 points and 4.8 assists this year while proving that he has plenty left in the tank.
Covington, who was acquired in the trade which sent Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers, is battling a bone bruise. He doesn’t seem nearly as close to a return as Rose, which Thibodeau confirmed last week. The former coach stated that Covington will be out for an extended period, per The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.
Since joining the Timberwolves, Covington has averaged a career-best 14.5 points along with 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. He’s been a great addition to the roster and replacing him for a long stretch may be tough for Minnesota.
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