Love Lost To Broken Hand In Minnesota

Think the Minnesota TimberWolves received a lot of hype this preseason? ESPN The Magazine picked Minnesota to finish third in the Western Conference, ahead of the Lakers. Of course, the team’s early season hopes took a big blow when All-Star big man Kevin Love was lost for six to eight weeks with a broken hand. And there’s reason to believe that this injury could linger and affect the NBA’s best rebounder. It means that the team has lost its two franchise cornerstones to long-term injuries this year.

“I think all of our fans anticipated this season with great enthusiasm. We knew we were going to have to wait for Ricky, and now we have two guys to wait for,” Owner Glen Taylor said. “But again, I’m going to be positive about it and say we’ve got some young guys and let’s see them step up.”

Whether Minnesota can handle Love’s loss over the first two months could determine the team’s playoff chances. To stay afloat in Love’s absence, Minnesota will have to rely on Derrick Williams and a large array of new frontcourt additions including Andrei Kirilenko, former Boston shot blocker Greg Stiemsma, Lou Amundson and Dante Cunningham.