Category: Minnesota T-Wolves Blog

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that the team has picked up the third-year options on guard Ricky Rubio and forward Derrick Williams.

Rubio, a second-year guard from Spain, finished as runner-up in the NBA’s Rookie of the Year voting last season. He appeared in 41 games, averaging 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 8.2 assists. Rubio finished sixth in the NBA, and first among rookies, in assists last year. He finished with 12 point/assist double-doubles.

Williams, the second overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft out of Arizona, appeared in all 66 games for the Wolves as a rookie, averaging 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He finished fifth among rookies in rebounding and seventh in scoring. In 15 starts, Williams averaged 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in 30.0 minutes per game.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that the team has waived forward Mike Harris and center Chris Johnson. The Wolves roster now stands at 15 players.

Harris appeared in five preseason games, totaling six points, seven rebounds, one assist and four steals in 30 minutes.

In three preseason contests with Minnesota, Johnson registered six points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal in 15 minutes.

The Timberwolves are hoping veteran guard Luke Ridnour, the team’s oldest player at 31, does not become the latest injury concern.

Ridnour said Sunday, Oct. 21, that he has a herniated disc in his lower back, an ailment that has sidelined him for three of the Wolves’ five exhibition games. Ridnour did not practice Sunday but said his back is “feeling much better” after getting a cortisone shot on Friday.

“By taking care of it now, I’ll be able to nip it in the bud and move forward from here and be pain free,” Ridnour said after practice. “I just want to make the necessary steps, so I can be ready for November. I’ll be ready to go.”

Ridnour is a vital player in the Wolves’ attempts to adjust without Kevin Love (broken hand) and Ricky Rubio (knee).

— Reported by Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press

The Minnesota Timberwolves got a bit of good news Thursday when doctors told All-Star Kevin Love that he wouldn’t need surgery on his broken right hand.

The bad news is they still have to figure out a way to replace his 26 points and 13 rebounds a game for the next six to eight weeks.

Love said in a statement Thursday that he broke his right hand while doing knuckle push-ups the day before in a pre-practice workout. The injury means the Wolves will be without their two best players — point guard Ricky Rubio isn’t expected back until mid-December at the earliest because of a torn ACL in his left knee — for the first month of the regular season, and possibly longer.

“Although I’m disappointed that this injury happened, I will work extremely hard to stay in shape and return to the court as quickly as possible,” Love said.

The situation is similar to what Wolves coach Rick Adelman had to deal with in Houston, when he lost stars Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming for extended stretches.

“I was just shocked,” Adelman said when he was told of Love’s injury. “I couldn’t believe it. Here we’re trying to get ready and then we have something like this happen. I learned a long time ago. I’ve had so many injuries to good players, I’ve started to think maybe it’s me.”

— Reported by the Associated Press

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love was examined today by hand specialist Dr. Andy Weiland of the Hospital of Special Surgery in New York for further evaluation of the fracture of the third and fourth metacarpal in his right hand. The evaluation revealed that surgery will not be required on his hand and confirmed that his expected return will be in 6-8 weeks.

The following is a statement from Wolves Kevin Love regarding his injury:

“Yesterday, I had a post-practice commitment and decided to work out at my home with my personal trainer before heading to Target Center. While doing various pushups, including knuckle pushups, which are part of my regular workout routine, I hurt my hand. I immediately knew something was wrong and called head athletic trainer Gregg Farnam.

“Although I’m disappointed that this injury happened, I will work extremely hard to stay in shape and return to the court as quickly as possible. We have added a lot of depth to our roster this season, and I have complete confidence in my teammates and coaching staff that they will step up and we will be successful during this time. I’m looking forward to supporting our team and helping out any way I can until I get back on the court.”

The injury hits just keep coming for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The team today announced that star power forward Kevin Love suffered a fracture of his third and fourth metacarpal in his right hand. The injury occurred this morning while working out.

Love is expected to be out approximately 6-8 weeks. He will be examined by Dr. Andy Weiland, a hand specialist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, on Thursday for further evaluation.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has waived training camp invitees Phil Jones and Seth Tarver. Neither player saw action in the team’s three preseason games.

Jones, a 6-10 forward/center, played overseas for the past two years after playing collegiately at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has made stops in Uruguay, Brussels and spent the past season in Romania.

Tarver, a 6-5 guard, spent the last two seasons with the Idaho Stampede of the NBA D-League. Tarver averaged 11.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 45 contests last season. Tarver went undrafted in 2010 after a four-year collegiate career at Oregon State.

The Wolves roster currently stands at 18 players.